In
fractional calculus
Fractional calculus is a branch of mathematical analysis that studies the several different possibilities of defining real number powers or complex number powers of the differentiation operator D
:D f(x) = \frac f(x)\,,
and of the integration o ...
, an area of
mathematical analysis
Analysis is the branch of mathematics dealing with continuous functions, limit (mathematics), limits, and related theories, such as Derivative, differentiation, Integral, integration, measure (mathematics), measure, infinite sequences, series (m ...
, the differintegral (sometime also called the derivigral) is a combined
differentiation/
integration
Integration may refer to:
Biology
* Multisensory integration
* Path integration
* Pre-integration complex, viral genetic material used to insert a viral genome into a host genome
*DNA integration, by means of site-specific recombinase technolo ...
operator. Applied to a
function ƒ, the ''q''-differintegral of ''f'', here denoted by
:
is the
fractional derivative (if ''q'' > 0) or
fractional integral
Fractional calculus is a branch of mathematical analysis that studies the several different possibilities of defining real number powers or complex number powers of the differentiation operator D
:D f(x) = \frac f(x)\,,
and of the integratio ...
(if ''q'' < 0). If ''q'' = 0, then the ''q''-th differintegral of a function is the function itself. In the context of fractional integration and differentiation, there are several legitimate definitions of the differintegral.
Standard definitions
The four most common forms are:
*The
Riemann–Liouville differintegralThis is the simplest and easiest to use, and consequently it is the most often used. It is a generalization of the
Cauchy formula for repeated integration The Cauchy formula for repeated integration, named after Augustin-Louis Cauchy, allows one to compress ''n'' antidifferentiations of a function into a single integral (cf. Cauchy's formula).
Scalar case
Let ''f'' be a continuous function on the re ...
to arbitrary order. Here,
.
*The
Grunwald–Letnikov differintegralThe Grunwald–Letnikov differintegral is a direct generalization of the definition of a
derivative
In mathematics, the derivative of a function of a real variable measures the sensitivity to change of the function value (output value) with respect to a change in its argument (input value). Derivatives are a fundamental tool of calculus. ...
. It is more difficult to use than the Riemann–Liouville differintegral, but can sometimes be used to solve problems that the Riemann–Liouville cannot.
*The
Weyl differintegral
In mathematics, the Weyl integral (named after Hermann Weyl) is an operator defined, as an example of fractional calculus, on functions ''f'' on the unit circle having integral 0 and a Fourier series. In other words there is a Fourier series fo ...
This is formally similar to the Riemann–Liouville differintegral, but applies to
periodic function
A periodic function is a function that repeats its values at regular intervals. For example, the trigonometric functions, which repeat at intervals of 2\pi radians, are periodic functions. Periodic functions are used throughout science to d ...
s, with integral zero over a period.
*The
Caputo differintegral Caputo is a common Italian surname. It derives from the Latin root of ''caput'', meaning "source" or "head." People with that name include:
* Anthony "Acid" Caputo, American DJ, producer and remixer
* Bruce Faulkner Caputo, American politician
...
In opposite to the Riemann-Liouville differintegral, Caputo derivative of a constant
is equal to zero. Moreover, a form of the Laplace transform allows to simply evaluate the initial conditions by computing finite, integer-order derivatives at point
.
Definitions via transforms
The definitions of fractional derivatives given by Liouville, Fourier, and Grunwald and Letnikov coincide. They can be represented via Laplace, Fourier transforms or via Newton series expansion.
Recall the
continuous Fourier transform
A Fourier transform (FT) is a mathematical transform that decomposes functions into frequency components, which are represented by the output of the transform as a function of frequency. Most commonly functions of time or space are transformed, ...
, here denoted
:
Using the continuous Fourier transform, in Fourier space, differentiation transforms into a multiplication: