Third-order pointwise kernel error bound 2026-10-14
Suppose a probability density function and its third derivative are bounded. A square-integrable unit-integral kernel for density estimation with first two moments zero and has bias of a kernel density estimator at most , by Taylor theorem with Lagrange remainder and moment cancellation. Independence gives variance at most . The Cauchy-Schwarz inequality bounds the expected centred absolute deviation by the square root of this variance. Adding the bias proves the inequality uniformly in . The choice gives expected absolute error .
For the uniform noninteracting Electron model with two spin states and kinetic energy of nonrelativistic particles , count all available one-particle states up to an energy :This extensive density of states has units of inverse energy; is the density of states per unit volume. Availability and occupation are different: is positive above , but at zero temperature those states are empty. The occupied energy distribution is , with the Fermi-Dirac distribution reduced to below and above it. The convention at the exact boundary does not affect a continuum integral.
At zero temperature occupation cuts off at the Fermi energy although the density of available states keeps growing
. Details. With the dimensionless quantity , the occupied count per , divided by the total particle number, is for . Its area is one. Weighting this by gives the internal energy and its mean per particle:Thus the highest occupied energy and the mean energy differ. For the Fermi energy of a model electron gas, . At fixed , , so the derivative gives the electron degeneracy pressure . The same state-counting geometry therefore predicts a nonzero pressure at zero temperature.
Time derivative Created 2026-10-05 Updated 2026-10-06
A time derivative is the partial derivative of an evolving field with respect to time while holding its spatial coordinates fixed. For a quantity depending only on time, it is an ordinary derivative.
Topological manifold Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
A topological -manifold without boundary is a topological space satisfying three conditions: it is Hausdorff, it is second countable, and every point lies in an open set with a homeomorphism onto an open set . Here is a fixed dimension of a manifold, and has the usual topology of Euclidean space. The pair is a coordinate chart. Unless explicitly qualified, “topological manifold” here means without boundary.[ref]
The Hausdorff condition requires disjoint open neighbourhoods for distinct points. Second countability requires a countable basis of a topology. Neither follows merely from the local homeomorphisms: non-Hausdorff manifolds fail the first condition, while an uncountable disjoint union of copies of the real line fails the second. Indeed, a basis of a topology must supply a different nonempty member inside each copy, so it cannot be countable.
The circle and the real line are both one-dimensional topological manifolds, with the same local model. Their global topologies differ: the circle is compact, while the real line is not. By contrast, the junction of a topological tripod already fails the local test. Thus local coordinate charts specify what kind of small pieces are allowed; global topological invariants distinguish how those pieces fit together.[ref]
Introduction. Introduction to Topological Manifolds by John M. Lee, second edition, Chapter 1, pages 1–3 on local models and pages 5–6 on topological invariants
The usefulness of a topological manifold is that local questions about continuity can be transported into Euclidean space, while compactness, connectedness, and the fundamental group still record global information. For calculus, further structure is needed: a smooth atlas requires smooth transition maps, letting the chain rule reconcile derivatives computed in different coordinate charts. A topological atlas by itself only guarantees homeomorphisms between coordinates.[ref]
Week 2 course notes. Topology I: smooth manifolds, Week 2, Section 1.2, equation (11) and Definitions 1.15–1.16, pages 5–6
Topological vector space Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
A topological vector space is a vector space over or , equipped with a topology such that vector addition and scalar multiplication are jointly continuous:The domains carry the product topology, and the scalar field carries its usual topology. Joint continuity permits both inputs to vary at once. Here the definition does not impose the Hausdorff condition; we state it separately when needed. [ref]
https://www.math.lmu.de/~philip/publications/lectureNotes/philipPeter_FunctionalAnalysis.pdf. Peter Philip, Functional Analysis, Definition 1.1 and Example 1.2
.Every normed vector space is a topological vector space: the triangle inequality gives , whilecontrols scalar multiplication near any . More generally, a seminorm topology supplies many measurements of smallness, rather than one norm. Translation by any vector is a homeomorphism, so a neighbourhood basis at zero determines all neighbourhoods by translation.
The compatibility matters: on a nonzero real vector space, the discrete topology makes vector addition continuous, but not scalar multiplication. For , the sequence of scalars tends to zero, whereas the sequence never enters the open set . Thus choosing a topology arbitrarily need not respect the linear algebra.
This framework lets functional analysis choose the appropriate notion of limit of a sequence. Norm topology measures one global error, weak topology tests linear functionals, and the Fréchet space of smooth functions controls every order of derivative. In each case the operations forming linear combinations are continuous, making approximation compatible with the underlying equations.
Torus knot Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
For nonzero coprime integers , the torus knot lies on a standard unknotted torus in the three-sphere and winds times meridionally and times longitudinally. Here a meridian of a solid torus goes around the small cross-section of the doughnut, while the longitudinal direction goes around its central hole. The integers count signed turns, so changing one sign gives the mirror of a link of the torus knot. In this article is always the meridional count and the longitudinal count.
An explicit parametric curve in three-dimensional Euclidean space iswhere . Its cylindrical radius satisfies , the equation of the supporting torus. Its meridional angle is and its longitudinal angle is : this checks the convention directly rather than relying on the picture. Its squared speed isIf two parameter values give the same point, their difference satisfies . Bézout's identity for the coprime integers then gives . Thus the loop closes and is an injective function on the parameter circle, with nonzero derivative; it is a smooth embedding.
For example, , , , produces a trefoil knot. During one circuit the meridional angle changes by and the longitudinal angle by . The supporting torus is a guide for construction, not a constraint on later ambient isotopies: the knot may move off it. This family makes arithmetic visible as geometry: the coprime integers determine whether a single traversal visits the whole loop without repetition.
The coprime integers hypothesis matters. If the greatest common divisor is , the same parametric curve retraces a single component times; it does not automatically draw different components. The corresponding torus link is instead the full set of points on the torus whose angles satisfy , with meridional angle and longitudinal angle . It has disjoint components, each with winding counts . For instance, the torus link consists of two parallel loops and is a Hopf link, whereas substituting into simply traces one of those loops twice.
Translation (geometry) Created 2026-10-05 Updated 2026-10-06
On an affine space modeled on a vector space, the map for a fixed vector . Its derivative is the identity, and . Changes between flat coordinates on a translation surface have this form.
The spherical source potential gives leading longitudinal displacement field . Apply the local solid-fluid P-wave transmission coefficient to its potential at a smooth interface. In hyperbolic interface collimation of P-waves, transmitted rays are parallel, so ray-tube conservation for a P-wave jump makes the leading coefficient constant along each vertical ray. This yields the displayed jump for the first nonzero derivative discontinuity of the waveform. Smooth transverse derivatives multiply rather than and are one order more regular. The construction presupposes the indicated one-sided derivative jump exists; a source smooth to every order may have no jump.
Trapezoidal rule Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
As a quadrature rule, the trapezoidal rule replaces an integrand by the linear interpolation joining its two endpoint values:For nonnegative endpoint values, this is the area of a trapezoid; in general it is a signed area. The quadrature nodes are , each with quadrature weight . Unlike the midpoint quadrature rule, it uses endpoint samples, which can be reused between adjacent panels.
Every affine function agrees with its linear interpolation, so the trapezoidal rule integrates it exactly. On , gives . On , the polynomial instead gives , exceeding by . Its degree of precision of a quadrature rule is exactly one.
If , its signed approximation error satisfiesA convex function lies below its endpoint chord, so the trapezoidal rule overestimates its integral; a concave function gives the reverse inequality. The error formula assumes that the second derivative exists and is a continuous function throughout the closed interval.[ref]
3.5 Quadrature, subsection (i) Trapezoidal Rules. §3.5(i), equation 3.5.1 and its C² hypothesis; the source writes integral minus rule
A short derivation is the identityobtained by two integrations by parts. The nonnegative Peano kernel has integral , and the weighted mean value theorem for integrals gives the formula.The trapezoidal rule for an ordinary differential equation averages vector fields at the old and new states and is A-stable.
This time-stepping use applies the same trapezoidal rule to the integral of the derivative in an ordinary differential equation. That connection explains its place under implicit Runge-Kutta methods; its quadrature behavior and the nonlinear issue in trapezoidal rule fails B-stability concern different uses of the same endpoint averaging.
Truncation error Created 2026-09-29 Updated 2026-10-14
Truncation error is introduced by replacing an exact operation with a finite approximation. It remains even when all arithmetic is exact. For , the forward finite difference for its derivative at givesThus the truncation error is exactly : gives and gives . In finite precision, however, the numerator subtracts nearly equal values, and their roundoff error can be amplified by division by . For smooth data with bounded evaluation errors of scale , a typical bound has competing terms . Smaller reduces the first term and increases the second; with fixed positive constants the balancing scale is . This is why blindly refining a finite difference eventually stops improving it.
Two-level paramagnetic cooling model 2026-10-18
Use the independent spin-one-half two-level system with fixed distinguishable sites and Hamiltonian levels , where is the magnitude of the field-axis magnetic moment and is a uniform externally controlled magnetic field. Assume positive temperature, no interactions between sites, and no appreciable lattice or load entropy. The two levels differ by . With inverse temperature , the canonical ensemble gives the one-site and total partition functionsHere the minus subscript denotes the lower energy . Factorization of the partition function requires additive energy and independent sites; there is no particle-exchange factor for these fixed distinguishable sites.
Differentiate the partition function, holding fixed when differentiating with respect to . The internal energy, Helmholtz free energy, total field-axis magnetic moment , and magnetic entropy areThe extensive moment is distinct from magnetization, the moment per unit volume. Direct substitution of into the Gibbs entropy gives the same independently of the free-energy derivative.
At fixed , the magnetic heat capacity isStrict decrease makes invertible on . Constant magnetic entropy therefore fixes , not or separately:The partition function may be used to label these equilibrium states even though the isolated cooling leg has no external heat bath. Actual thermalization of the lattice and load additionally requires a sufficiently fast spin-lattice relaxation; perfectly uncoupled spins by themselves cannot refrigerate an attached object.
The limiting cases are instructive. For , , , and . The moment response reproduces Curie's law. For , and the upper-state occupation is exponentially small. Taking at fixed gives ; taking at fixed gives . The origin has a path-dependent limit. Extrapolating a line of constant to does not construct a usable zero-temperature state or prove that a real material retains independent degenerate spins there.
Two-spin Boltzmann learning 2026-10-18
Take two visible bipolar units, no hidden units, zero thresholds, , and . As original training data, assign probabilities each to and and each to and . The data pair product averages to . Enumeration of all four states gives two weights and two , hence the partition function andStarting at , the positive-minus-negative difference is . A gradient ascent step of size gives . Each aligned state now has probability and each opposed state , bringing the model toward the data. The log-likelihood increases from to . Solving gives , which reproduces the data exactly. Since , this is the unique maximum. These are exact enumerations and their decimal evaluations, with no sampling or laboratory measurements.
Exact probabilities and positive-minus-negative learning for two visible units
. Left: data and model probabilities before and after one gradient ascent step. Right: the data pair-product average and the model average determine the log-likelihood derivative; their intersection gives the optimal coupling. Details.Let a portfolio hold in a risk-free asset with net return and in an asset returning or , with probabilities and . Assume , , , and . Its state wealths are and . The expected utility has strictly negative second derivative. Setting its first derivative to zero gives the displayed unconstrained root; the derivative at is negative, so only the lower constraint can bind. Thus the displayed formula is the unique optimum. All equity is optimal exactly when . The positivity of both state wealths is part of the logarithmic utility domain.
A proper Riemann integral on a compact interval requires a bounded integrand, but a derivative can be unbounded. For away from zero and , the difference quotient gives , whereas for . At , this derivative is and is unbounded. The fundamental theorem of calculus version that integrates a derivative therefore needs an explicit integrability hypothesis.
On a nondegenerate interval, point evaluation of the derivative is unbounded for the supremum norm on smooth functions. The functions have supremum norm at most one but . Adding the supremum norm of the derivative makes this evaluation a bounded linear functional.


