Legendre Polynomials
In mathematics, Legendre polynomials, named after Adrien-Marie Legendre (1782), are a system of complete and orthogonal polynomials with a wide number of mathematical properties and numerous applications. They can be defined in many ways, and the various definitions highlight different aspects as well as suggest generalizations and connections to different mathematical structures and physical and numerical applications. Closely related to the Legendre polynomials are associated Legendre polynomials, Legendre functions, Legendre functions of the second kind, big q-Legendre polynomials, and associated Legendre functions. Definition and representation Definition by construction as an orthogonal system In this approach, the polynomials are defined as an orthogonal system with respect to the weight function w(x) = 1 over the interval [-1,1]. That is, P_n(x) is a polynomial of degree n, such that \int_^1 P_m(x) P_n(x) \,dx = 0 \quad \text n \ne m. With the additional standardi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Lagrange Polynomial
In numerical analysis, the Lagrange interpolating polynomial is the unique polynomial of lowest degree that interpolates a given set of data. Given a data set of coordinate pairs (x_j, y_j) with 0 \leq j \leq k, the x_j are called ''nodes'' and the y_j are called ''values''. The Lagrange polynomial L(x) has degree \leq k and assumes each value at the corresponding node, L(x_j) = y_j. Although named after Joseph-Louis Lagrange, who published it in 1795, the method was first discovered in 1779 by Edward Waring. It is also an easy consequence of a formula published in 1783 by Leonhard Euler. Uses of Lagrange polynomials include the Newton–Cotes method of numerical integration, Shamir's secret sharing scheme in cryptography, and Reed–Solomon error correction in coding theory. For equispaced nodes, Lagrange interpolation is susceptible to Runge's phenomenon of large oscillation. Definition Given a set of k + 1 nodes \, which must all be distinct, x_j \neq x_m for ind ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Group Theory
In abstract algebra, group theory studies the algebraic structures known as group (mathematics), groups. The concept of a group is central to abstract algebra: other well-known algebraic structures, such as ring (mathematics), rings, field (mathematics), fields, and vector spaces, can all be seen as groups endowed with additional operation (mathematics), operations and axioms. Groups recur throughout mathematics, and the methods of group theory have influenced many parts of algebra. Linear algebraic groups and Lie groups are two branches of group theory that have experienced advances and have become subject areas in their own right. Various physical systems, such as crystals and the hydrogen atom, and Standard Model, three of the four known fundamental forces in the universe, may be modelled by symmetry groups. Thus group theory and the closely related representation theory have many important applications in physics, chemistry, and materials science. Group theory is also cen ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Spherical Harmonics
In mathematics and physical science, spherical harmonics are special functions defined on the surface of a sphere. They are often employed in solving partial differential equations in many scientific fields. The table of spherical harmonics contains a list of common spherical harmonics. Since the spherical harmonics form a complete set of orthogonal functions and thus an orthonormal basis, every function defined on the surface of a sphere can be written as a sum of these spherical harmonics. This is similar to periodic functions defined on a circle that can be expressed as a sum of circular functions (sines and cosines) via Fourier series. Like the sines and cosines in Fourier series, the spherical harmonics may be organized by (spatial) angular frequency, as seen in the rows of functions in the illustration on the right. Further, spherical harmonics are basis functions for irreducible representations of SO(3), the group of rotations in three dimensions, and thus play a cen ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Spherical Coordinates
In mathematics, a spherical coordinate system specifies a given point in three-dimensional space by using a distance and two angles as its three coordinates. These are * the radial distance along the line connecting the point to a fixed point called the origin; * the polar angle between this radial line and a given ''polar axis''; and * the azimuthal angle , which is the angle of rotation of the radial line around the polar axis. (See graphic regarding the "physics convention".) Once the radius is fixed, the three coordinates (''r'', ''θ'', ''φ''), known as a 3-tuple, provide a coordinate system on a sphere, typically called the spherical polar coordinates. The plane passing through the origin and perpendicular to the polar axis (where the polar angle is a right angle) is called the ''reference plane'' (sometimes '' fundamental plane''). Terminology The radial distance from the fixed point of origin is also called the ''radius'', or ''radial line'', or ''radial coord ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Partial Differential Equation
In mathematics, a partial differential equation (PDE) is an equation which involves a multivariable function and one or more of its partial derivatives. The function is often thought of as an "unknown" that solves the equation, similar to how is thought of as an unknown number solving, e.g., an algebraic equation like . However, it is usually impossible to write down explicit formulae for solutions of partial differential equations. There is correspondingly a vast amount of modern mathematical and scientific research on methods to numerically approximate solutions of certain partial differential equations using computers. Partial differential equations also occupy a large sector of pure mathematical research, in which the usual questions are, broadly speaking, on the identification of general qualitative features of solutions of various partial differential equations, such as existence, uniqueness, regularity and stability. Among the many open questions are the existence ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Laplace's Equation
In mathematics and physics, Laplace's equation is a second-order partial differential equation named after Pierre-Simon Laplace, who first studied its properties in 1786. This is often written as \nabla^2\! f = 0 or \Delta f = 0, where \Delta = \nabla \cdot \nabla = \nabla^2 is the Laplace operator,The delta symbol, Δ, is also commonly used to represent a finite change in some quantity, for example, \Delta x = x_1 - x_2. Its use to represent the Laplacian should not be confused with this use. \nabla \cdot is the divergence operator (also symbolized "div"), \nabla is the gradient operator (also symbolized "grad"), and f (x, y, z) is a twice-differentiable real-valued function. The Laplace operator therefore maps a scalar function to another scalar function. If the right-hand side is specified as a given function, h(x, y, z), we have \Delta f = h This is called Poisson's equation, a generalization of Laplace's equation. Laplace's equation and Poisson's equation are the simp ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Legendre Functions
In physical science and mathematics, the Legendre functions , and associated Legendre functions , , and Legendre functions of the second kind, , are all solutions of Legendre's differential equation. The Legendre polynomials and the associated Legendre polynomials are also solutions of the differential equation in special cases, which, by virtue of being polynomials, have a large number of additional properties, mathematical structure, and applications. For these polynomial solutions, see the separate Wikipedia articles. Legendre's differential equation The general Legendre equation reads \left(1 - x^2\right) y'' - 2xy' + \left lambda(\lambda+1) - \frac\righty = 0, where the numbers and may be complex, and are called the degree and order of the relevant function, respectively. The polynomial solutions when is an integer (denoted ), and are the Legendre polynomials ; and when is an integer (denoted ), and is also an integer with are the associated Legendre polynomials ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Associated Legendre Polynomials
In mathematics, the associated Legendre polynomials are the canonical solutions of the general Legendre equation \left(1 - x^2\right) \frac P_\ell^m(x) - 2 x \frac P_\ell^m(x) + \left \ell (\ell + 1) - \frac \rightP_\ell^m(x) = 0, or equivalently \frac \left \left(1 - x^2\right) \frac P_\ell^m(x) \right+ \left \ell (\ell + 1) - \frac \rightP_\ell^m(x) = 0, where the indices ''ℓ'' and ''m'' (which are integers) are referred to as the degree and order of the associated Legendre polynomial respectively. This equation has nonzero solutions that are nonsingular on only if ''ℓ'' and ''m'' are integers with 0 ≤ ''m'' ≤ ''ℓ'', or with trivially equivalent negative values. When in addition ''m'' is even, the function is a polynomial. When ''m'' is zero and ''ℓ'' integer, these functions are identical to the Legendre polynomials. In general, when ''ℓ'' and ''m'' are integers, the regular solutions are sometimes called "associated Legendre polynomials", even though they are ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hermitian
{{Short description, none Numerous things are named after the French mathematician Charles Hermite (1822–1901): Hermite * Cubic Hermite spline, a type of third-degree spline * Gauss–Hermite quadrature, an extension of Gaussian quadrature method * Hermite class * Hermite differential equation * Hermite distribution, a parametrized family of discrete probability distributions * Hermite–Lindemann theorem, theorem about transcendental numbers * Hermite constant, a constant related to the geometry of certain lattices * Hermite-Gaussian modes * The Hermite–Hadamard inequality on convex functions and their integrals * Hermite interpolation, a method of interpolating data points by a polynomial * Hermite–Kronecker–Brioschi characterization * The Hermite–Minkowski theorem, stating that only finitely many number fields have small discriminants * Hermite normal form, a form of row-reduced matrices * Hermite numbers, integers related to the Hermite polynomials * Her ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Differential Operator
In mathematics, a differential operator is an operator defined as a function of the differentiation operator. It is helpful, as a matter of notation first, to consider differentiation as an abstract operation that accepts a function and returns another function (in the style of a higher-order function in computer science). This article considers mainly linear differential operators, which are the most common type. However, non-linear differential operators also exist, such as the Schwarzian derivative. Definition Given a nonnegative integer ''m'', an order-m linear differential operator is a map P from a function space \mathcal_1 on \mathbb^n to another function space \mathcal_2 that can be written as: P = \sum_a_\alpha(x) D^\alpha\ , where \alpha = (\alpha_1,\alpha_2,\cdots,\alpha_n) is a multi-index of non-negative integers, , \alpha, = \alpha_1 + \alpha_2 + \cdots + \alpha_n, and for each \alpha, a_\alpha(x) is a function on some open domain in ''n''-dimensional space ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sturm–Liouville Theory
In mathematics and its applications, a Sturm–Liouville problem is a second-order linear ordinary differential equation of the form \frac \left (x) \frac\right+ q(x)y = -\lambda w(x) y for given functions p(x), q(x) and w(x), together with some boundary conditions at extreme values of x. The goals of a given Sturm–Liouville problem are: * To find the for which there exists a non-trivial solution to the problem. Such values are called the ''eigenvalues'' of the problem. * For each eigenvalue , to find the corresponding solution y = y(x) of the problem. Such functions y are called the '' eigenfunctions'' associated to each . Sturm–Liouville theory is the general study of Sturm–Liouville problems. In particular, for a "regular" Sturm–Liouville problem, it can be shown that there are an infinite number of eigenvalues each with a unique eigenfunction, and that these eigenfunctions form an orthonormal basis of a certain Hilbert space of functions. This theory is important ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |