Continuous and nowhere differentiable

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SUMMARY

The Weierstrass function, defined as f(x)=∑_{n=0}^{∞} B^n Cos(A^n π x) for 01+3π/2, serves as a prime example of a continuous function that is nowhere differentiable. The series converges uniformly if 01+3π/2. The discussion also explores the relationship between fractal dimensions and differentiability, proposing that a continuous function is nowhere differentiable if its fractal dimension exceeds 1. The Weierstrass function is confirmed to have a fractal dimension between 1 and 2, further complicating the understanding of its differentiability.

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  • Knowledge of uniform convergence and the Weierstrass M-test
  • Familiarity with fractal dimensions and their implications
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  • #31
"relatively simple matter"

. . . . . . yea, right . . . . . I'm wrong and I ain't proud. Can someone show me how to prove:

f(x)=\sum_{r=0}^{\infty} A^r Sin[B^r x]

Is nowhere differentiable. Even with all I did above I can't apply it to this equation with A<1 and B an integer: I end up getting the difference quotient is larger than minus infinity which is meaningless.
 
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  • #32
I was incorrectly interpreting the partial sums of a geometric series. It should be:


\sum_{r=0}^{n-1}(\frac{1}{A})^r+(\frac{1}{A})^n+\sum_{r=n+1}^{\infty}(\frac{1}{A})^r=


\frac{1-(\frac{1}{A})^n}{1-\frac{1}{A}}+(\frac{1}{A})^n+\frac{(\frac{1}{A})^{n+1}}{1-\frac{1}{A}}


The important point is to devise sizes for A and B such that the following partial differences are less than 1. The most difficult is for h_n(x). I rationalized that since factorials squared were being used above, then I should try to make the B term quite large with respect to A. In the following example, I used B=A^2.

|k_n(x)-k_n(x_0)|\geq(\frac{1}{A})^n

|I_n(x)-I_n(x_0)|\leq\frac{2}{A-1}(\frac{1}{A})^n

|h_n(x)-h_n(x_0)|\leq(\frac{A^n-1}{A-1})\frac{3\pi}{A^nA^n}

Plugging this into the differential difference quotient leads to the following expression:


\mathop{\lim}\limits_{n\to\infty}\frac{(\frac{1}{A})^n[1-\frac{2}{a-1}-\frac{3\pi(A^n-1)}{A^n(A-1)}]}{\frac{3\pi}{B^n}}

With B=A^2

This limit tends to infinity if A\geq 13

Thus,

f(x)=\sum_{r=0}^\infty(\frac{1}{13})^r Sin[(13)^{2r}x]

is nowhere differentiable.

(this is not a proof)
 

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