Can l'Hopital's Rule Be Generalized for Differentiable Maps Between Manifolds?

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SUMMARY

This discussion explores the potential generalization of l'Hôpital's Rule for differentiable maps between differentiable manifolds. The user proposes that for functions f and g mapping from manifold M to manifold N, the limit of the ratio of their norms could be expressed as the ratio of the norms of their gradients at a point. Specifically, they suggest that the limit could be formulated as lim_{x→0} ||f(x)||/||g(x)|| = ||∇f(0)||/||∇g(0)||, although this remains unconfirmed. The conversation emphasizes the challenges of defining division between non-scalar functions in this context.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of differentiable manifolds
  • Familiarity with l'Hôpital's Rule in calculus
  • Knowledge of gradient and norm concepts in multivariable calculus
  • Basic proficiency in mathematical notation and limits
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the application of l'Hôpital's Rule in higher dimensions
  • Study the properties of norms and gradients in differentiable manifolds
  • Explore the concept of limits in the context of vector-valued functions
  • Investigate existing literature on generalizations of calculus principles to manifold theory
USEFUL FOR

Mathematicians, students of differential geometry, and researchers interested in the application of calculus to manifold theory will benefit from this discussion.

Mandelbroth
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I had a wild thought.

Out of curiosity, is anyone aware of a kind of generalization for l'Hopital's Rule from analysis for differentiable maps between differentiable manifolds? I'm having trouble formulating if I could do it or not, because (as far as I know), if I have ##f,g:M\to N##, with ##f## and ##g## differentiable and ##M## and ##N## differentiable, ##f(x)/g(x)## is not, in general, defined.

Again, I don't know if it can be generalized. Ideas are certainly welcome, since I'll probably be stuck thinking about it until I prove something does work or doesn't work.
 
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Maybe there's something like:

[itex]\lim_{x\rightarrow 0} \frac{||f(x)||}{||g(x)||} = \frac{||\nabla f(0)||}{||\nabla g(0)||}[/itex]

But it's just a guess, I didn't confirm this.
Anyway, you can't define division between two functions unless they are scalars, obviously.

Edit: Well, you can define some sort of division but it wouldn't be like the case we know from calculus.
 
It seems to me that the next identity should be fulfilled.

If ##f(x_1,\cdots , x_m)=(f_1,\cdots, f_n)## and ##g(x_1,\cdots,x_m)=(g_1,\cdots,g_n)##, then:

##||f||/||g|| = \sqrt{f^2_1+\cdots+f^2_n}/\sqrt{g^2_1+\cdots + g^2_n}##

Now it seems to me to be plausible that:
##\lim_{x\to 0} ||f||/||g|| = \frac{\sqrt{(grad \ f_1)^2+\cdots + (grad \ f_n )^2}}{\sqrt{(grad \ g_1)^2+\cdots + (grad \ g_n )^2}}(at \ x=0)##
 

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