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Legendre Transformation
In mathematics, the Legendre transformation (or Legendre transform), first introduced by Adrien-Marie Legendre in 1787 when studying the minimal surface problem, is an involutive transformation on real-valued functions that are convex on a real variable. Specifically, if a real-valued multivariable function is convex on one of its independent real variables, then the Legendre transform with respect to this variable is applicable to the function. In physical problems, the Legendre transform is used to convert functions of one quantity (such as position, pressure, or temperature) into functions of the conjugate quantity (momentum, volume, and entropy, respectively). In this way, it is commonly used in classical mechanics to derive the Hamiltonian formalism out of the Lagrangian formalism (or vice versa) and in thermodynamics to derive the thermodynamic potentials, as well as in the solution of differential equations of several variables. For sufficiently smooth functions on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Interval (mathematics)
In mathematics, a real interval is the set of all real numbers lying between two fixed endpoints with no "gaps". Each endpoint is either a real number or positive or negative infinity, indicating the interval extends without a bound. A real interval can contain neither endpoint, either endpoint, or both endpoints, excluding any endpoint which is infinite. For example, the set of real numbers consisting of , , and all numbers in between is an interval, denoted and called the unit interval; the set of all positive real numbers is an interval, denoted ; the set of all real numbers is an interval, denoted ; and any single real number is an interval, denoted . Intervals are ubiquitous in mathematical analysis. For example, they occur implicitly in the epsilon-delta definition of continuity; the intermediate value theorem asserts that the image of an interval by a continuous function is an interval; integrals of real functions are defined over an interval; etc. Interval ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chain Rule
In calculus, the chain rule is a formula that expresses the derivative of the Function composition, composition of two differentiable functions and in terms of the derivatives of and . More precisely, if h=f\circ g is the function such that h(x)=f(g(x)) for every , then the chain rule is, in Lagrange's notation, h'(x) = f'(g(x)) g'(x). or, equivalently, h'=(f\circ g)'=(f'\circ g)\cdot g'. The chain rule may also be expressed in Leibniz's notation. If a variable depends on the variable , which itself depends on the variable (that is, and are dependent variables), then depends on as well, via the intermediate variable . In this case, the chain rule is expressed as \frac = \frac \cdot \frac, and \left.\frac\_ = \left.\frac\_ \cdot \left. \frac\_ , for indicating at which points the derivatives have to be evaluated. In integral, integration, the counterpart to the chain rule is the substitution rule. Intuitive explanation Intuitively, the chain rule states that knowing t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Product Rule
In calculus, the product rule (or Leibniz rule or Leibniz product rule) is a formula used to find the derivatives of products of two or more functions. For two functions, it may be stated in Lagrange's notation as (u \cdot v)' = u ' \cdot v + u \cdot v' or in Leibniz's notation as \frac (u\cdot v) = \frac \cdot v + u \cdot \frac. The rule may be extended or generalized to products of three or more functions, to a rule for higher-order derivatives of a product, and to other contexts. Discovery Discovery of this rule is credited to Gottfried Leibniz, who demonstrated it using "infinitesimals" (a precursor to the modern differential). (However, J. M. Child, a translator of Leibniz's papers, argues that it is due to Isaac Barrow.) Here is Leibniz's argument: Let ''u'' and ''v'' be functions. Then ''d(uv)'' is the same thing as the difference between two successive ''uvs; let one of these be ''uv'', and the other ''u+du'' times ''v+dv''; then: \begin d(u\cdot v) & = (u + d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Inverse Functions And Differentiation
In calculus, the inverse function rule is a formula that expresses the derivative of the inverse of a bijective and differentiable function in terms of the derivative of . More precisely, if the inverse of f is denoted as f^, where f^(y) = x if and only if f(x) = y, then the inverse function rule is, in Lagrange's notation, :\left ^\right(y)=\frac. This formula holds in general whenever f is continuous and injective on an interval , with f being differentiable at f^(y)(\in I) and wheref'(f^(y)) \ne 0. The same formula is also equivalent to the expression :\mathcal\left ^\right\frac, where \mathcal denotes the unary derivative operator (on the space of functions) and \circ denotes function composition. Geometrically, a function and inverse function have graphs that are reflections, in the line y=x. This reflection operation turns the gradient of any line into its reciprocal. Assuming that f has an inverse in a neighbourhood of x and that its derivative at that point i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Critical Point (mathematics)
In mathematics, a critical point is the argument of a function where the function derivative is zero (or undefined, as specified below). The value of the function at a critical point is a . More specifically, when dealing with functions of a real variable, a critical point is a point in the domain of the function where the function derivative is equal to zero (also known as a ''stationary point'') or where the function is not differentiable. Similarly, when dealing with complex variables, a critical point is a point in the function's domain where its derivative is equal to zero (or the function is not ''holomorphic''). Likewise, for a function of several real variables, a critical point is a value in its domain where the gradient norm is equal to zero (or undefined). This sort of definition extends to differentiable maps between and a critical point being, in this case, a point where the rank of the Jacobian matrix is not maximal. It extends further to differentiable ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Duality (projective Geometry)
In projective geometry, duality or plane duality is a formalization of the striking symmetry of the roles played by Point (geometry), points and Line (geometry), lines in the definitions and theorems of projective planes. There are two approaches to the subject of duality, one through language () and the other a more functional approach through special Map (mathematics), mappings. These are completely equivalent and either treatment has as its starting point the axiomatic version of the geometries under consideration. In the functional approach there is a map between related geometries that is called a ''duality''. Such a map can be constructed in many ways. The concept of plane duality readily extends to ''space duality'' and beyond that to duality in any finite-dimensional projective geometry. Principle of duality A projective plane may be defined axiomatically as an incidence structure, in terms of a set of ''points'', a set of ''lines'', and an incidence relation that de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dot Product
In mathematics, the dot product or scalar productThe term ''scalar product'' means literally "product with a Scalar (mathematics), scalar as a result". It is also used for other symmetric bilinear forms, for example in a pseudo-Euclidean space. Not to be confused with scalar multiplication. is an algebraic operation that takes two equal-length sequences of numbers (usually coordinate vectors), and returns a single number. In Euclidean geometry, the dot product of the Cartesian coordinates of two Euclidean vector, vectors is widely used. It is often called the inner product (or rarely the projection product) of Euclidean space, even though it is not the only inner product that can be defined on Euclidean space (see ''Inner product space'' for more). It should not be confused with the cross product. Algebraically, the dot product is the sum of the Product (mathematics), products of the corresponding entries of the two sequences of numbers. Geometrically, it is the product of the Euc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Convex Set
In geometry, a set of points is convex if it contains every line segment between two points in the set. For example, a solid cube (geometry), cube is a convex set, but anything that is hollow or has an indent, for example, a crescent shape, is not convex. The boundary (topology), boundary of a convex set in the plane is always a convex curve. The intersection of all the convex sets that contain a given subset of Euclidean space is called the convex hull of . It is the smallest convex set containing . A convex function is a real-valued function defined on an interval (mathematics), interval with the property that its epigraph (mathematics), epigraph (the set of points on or above the graph of a function, graph of the function) is a convex set. Convex minimization is a subfield of mathematical optimization, optimization that studies the problem of minimizing convex functions over convex sets. The branch of mathematics devoted to the study of properties of convex sets and convex f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Graph Of A Function
In mathematics, the graph of a function f is the set of ordered pairs (x, y), where f(x) = y. In the common case where x and f(x) are real numbers, these pairs are Cartesian coordinates of points in a plane (geometry), plane and often form a Plane curve, curve. The graphical representation of the graph of a Function (mathematics), function is also known as a ''Plot (graphics), plot''. In the case of Bivariate function, functions of two variables – that is, functions whose Domain of a function, domain consists of pairs (x, y) –, the graph usually refers to the set of ordered triples (x, y, z) where f(x,y) = z. This is a subset of three-dimensional space; for a continuous real-valued function of two real variables, its graph forms a Surface (mathematics), surface, which can be visualized as a ''surface plot (graphics), surface plot''. In science, engineering, technology, finance, and other areas, graphs are tools used for many purposes. In the simplest case one variable is p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tangent Line
In geometry, the tangent line (or simply tangent) to a plane curve at a given point is, intuitively, the straight line that "just touches" the curve at that point. Leibniz defined it as the line through a pair of infinitely close points on the curve. More precisely, a straight line is tangent to the curve at a point if the line passes through the point on the curve and has slope , where ''f'' is the derivative of ''f''. A similar definition applies to space curves and curves in ''n''-dimensional Euclidean space. The point where the tangent line and the curve meet or intersect is called the ''point of tangency''. The tangent line is said to be "going in the same direction" as the curve, and is thus the best straight-line approximation to the curve at that point. The tangent line to a point on a differentiable curve can also be thought of as a '' tangent line approximation'', the graph of the affine function that best approximates the original function at the given p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Y-intercept
In analytic geometry, using the common convention that the horizontal axis represents a variable x and the vertical axis represents a variable y, a y-intercept or vertical intercept is a point where the graph of a function or relation intersects the y-axis of the coordinate system. As such, these points satisfy x = 0. Using equations If the curve in question is given as y = f(x), the y-coordinate of the y-intercept is found by calculating f(0). Functions which are undefined at x = 0 have no y-intercept. If the function is linear and is expressed in slope-intercept form as f(x) = a + bx, the constant term a is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept. Multiple y-intercepts Some 2-dimensional mathematical relationships such as circles, ellipses, and hyperbolas can have more than one y-intercept. Because functions associate x-values to no more than one y-value as part of their definition, they can have at most one y-intercept. x-intercepts Analogously, an x-intercept is a point w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
