Continuous and nowhere differentiable

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the Weierstrass function, specifically its properties as a continuous function that is nowhere differentiable. Participants explore the conditions under which the function converges, its fractal dimension, and the implications of these properties on differentiability.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants discuss the conditions for the convergence of the Weierstrass function, particularly the requirement that \( AB > 1 + \frac{3\pi}{2} \).
  • One participant suggests that the condition may relate to the divergence of the differentiated series.
  • Another participant proposes a connection between fractal dimension and differentiability, claiming that any function with fractal dimension is nowhere differentiable.
  • Some participants challenge the idea that a continuous function can have a fractal dimension of 1 and still be differentiable everywhere, citing examples like line segments.
  • There is a discussion on the definitions of fractal dimension, with references to capacity dimension and self-similarity.
  • Participants express uncertainty about how to calculate the fractal dimension of the Weierstrass function and its implications for differentiability.
  • One participant revises their claim to state that a continuous function is nowhere differentiable if its fractal dimension exceeds 1.
  • Another participant mentions that the Weierstrass function has a fractal dimension between 1 and 2, based on external references.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express multiple competing views regarding the relationship between fractal dimension and differentiability, and there is no consensus on the implications of the Weierstrass function's properties.

Contextual Notes

Discussions include varying definitions of fractal dimension and its application to continuous functions. There are unresolved questions about the specific implications of the condition \( AB > 1 + \frac{3\pi}{2} \) and how it relates to differentiability.

  • #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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