I Is long division for a non-polynomic function possible?

  • I
  • Thread starter Thread starter ecneicScience
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Division Function
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the possibility of decomposing a non-polynomial function F(x) with an asymptote at x=x* into two components, G(x) and H(x), where G(x) is defined at the asymptote and H(x) captures the asymptotic behavior. The user presents a complex function and seeks to extract G(x) or its slope at the asymptote. It is noted that such a decomposition is always possible but not unique, allowing for flexibility in defining G(x). The user acknowledges the clarification regarding the arbitrariness of G(x) and the approach to finding the decomposition by analyzing behavior around the asymptote or at infinity. This conversation highlights the mathematical intricacies of function decomposition in relation to asymptotic behavior.
ecneicScience
Messages
8
Reaction score
2
My question is: suppose you have a function ##F(x)## which has an asymptote at ##x=x*##. Can you decompose ##F(x)## so that
$$F(x) = G(x) + H(x)$$
where ##G(x)## is defined at ##x=x*## and ##H(x)## contains the asymptotic behaviour at ##x=x*## and goes to ##0## at plus or minus ##\inf##? This is commonly done when ##F(x)## is a polynomial in order to approximate ##F(x)##'s behaviour with the function ##G(x)## when ##x## is sufficiently far away from ##x^{*}##.

I have a very complicated function ##F(x)## that I would like to extract ##G(x)## from. If you're curious here it is:

$$F(x) = \frac{(2 a_1 z^{-a_2} -2 a_1 z^{-a_1} + z^{-a_1} - z^{-a_2}+ a_1^2 z^{-a_1} - a_2^2 z^{-a_2}) ln(z)^2 + (2 a_2 z^{-a_2} -2 a_1 z^{-a_1}+2 z^{-a_2} - 2 z^{-a_1}) ln(z) + 2 z^{-a_1} - 2 z^{-a_2}}
{(a_1 z^{-a_1} - a_2 z^{-a_2} + z^{-a_2} - z^{-a_1}) ln(z)^2 + (z^{-a_1}-z^{-a_2}) ln(z)}$$

where
$$z = 10^{x-x^{*}}$$
and ##a_2>a_1>0## and ##x^*>0##. I've attached a graph for an instance of the function where ##x^{*}=2##. As you can see there is an asymptote at ##x=2##. I want either ##G(x)## or the slope of ##G(x)## at ##x=x^{*}##. Has anyone encountered a similar problem?

Screen%20Shot%202016-03-04%20at%207.08.13%20PM.png
 
Last edited:
Mathematics news on Phys.org
Such a decomposition is always possible and never unique (e.g. for every solution you can add a Gaussian to G and subtract it from H). That also means that the slope of G(x) is not fixed at x=x*, it can have any value you like.

To find a possible decomposition, it is sufficient to describe the behavior either for x around x* or for x to +- infinity. The latter is probably easier here as it does not involve finding x*.
 
  • Like
Likes ecneicScience
mfb said:
Such a decomposition is always possible and never unique (e.g. for every solution you can add a Gaussian to G and subtract it from H). That also means that the slope of G(x) is not fixed at x=x*, it can have any value you like.

To find a possible decomposition, it is sufficient to describe the behavior either for x around x* or for x to +- infinity. The latter is probably easier here as it does not involve finding x*.

Thank you very much for your insight. You made the arbitrariness of G(x) very clear to me. Sorry it took so long to get back to you.
 
  • Like
Likes jim mcnamara and mfb
Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. In Dirac’s Principles of Quantum Mechanics published in 1930 he introduced a “convenient notation” he referred to as a “delta function” which he treated as a continuum analog to the discrete Kronecker delta. The Kronecker delta is simply the indexed components of the identity operator in matrix algebra Source: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/what-exactly-is-diracs-delta-function/ by...
Fermat's Last Theorem has long been one of the most famous mathematical problems, and is now one of the most famous theorems. It simply states that the equation $$ a^n+b^n=c^n $$ has no solutions with positive integers if ##n>2.## It was named after Pierre de Fermat (1607-1665). The problem itself stems from the book Arithmetica by Diophantus of Alexandria. It gained popularity because Fermat noted in his copy "Cubum autem in duos cubos, aut quadratoquadratum in duos quadratoquadratos, et...
Thread 'Imaginary Pythagorus'
I posted this in the Lame Math thread, but it's got me thinking. Is there any validity to this? Or is it really just a mathematical trick? Naively, I see that i2 + plus 12 does equal zero2. But does this have a meaning? I know one can treat the imaginary number line as just another axis like the reals, but does that mean this does represent a triangle in the complex plane with a hypotenuse of length zero? Ibix offered a rendering of the diagram using what I assume is matrix* notation...
Back
Top