Let $x_1,\dots ,x_k$ be the distinct interior roots of $p_n$ where its sign changes, and put $q(x)={\prod }_{j=1}^k(x-x_j)$. If $k<n$, orthogonality gives ${\int }_a^{b}w{p}_{n}q=0$. But $p_{n}q$ has constant sign on $(a,b)$, apart from its isolated zeros, because every sign change has been canceled. It is not identically zero, and the positive weight makes its integral nonzero, a contradiction. Thus $k\ge n$. Degree $n$ forces exactly $n$ distinct simple roots, all inside $(a,b)$.

For distinct nodes, let ${\ell }_i(x)={\prod }_{j\ne i}(x-c_j)/(c_i-c_j)$. Lagrange interpolation polynomial gives $f={\sum }_{i}f(c_i){\ell }_i$ for every polynomial of degree at most $n-1$. Integrating this identity proves exactness with $b_i={\int }_a^{b}w{\ell }_i$.

For the Gaussian quadrature nodes, divide any $f\in {\mathbb{P}}_{2n-1}$ as $f=q{p}_n+r$, with $q,r\in {\mathbb{P}}_{n-1}$. The integral of $q{p}_n$ vanishes by orthogonality, and its nodal values vanish because $p_n(c_i)=0$. The remaining polynomial $r$ is integrated exactly by the preceding interpolation result. HenceIts weights are positive: exactness applied to ${\ell }_i^2$ gives $b_i={\int }_a^{b}w{\ell }_i^2>0$.

Define the error functional $L(f)={\int }_a^{b}w(x)f(x)dx-{\sum }_i{b}_{i}f(c_i)$. It annihilates polynomials of degree at most $2n-1$. For $f\in C^{2n}[a,b]$, the Peano kernel theorem giveswhere a formal Peano kernel with the normalization made explicit isNo evaluation of $K$ is needed. The supplied inner product presupposes an integrable positive weight on the finite interval, so the integral and point-evaluation error functional is bounded on continuous functions.

For constant-density incompressible inviscid flow with conservative body force, Euler equations for an inviscid fluid give ${\partial }_t\mathbf{u}+(\mathbf{u}\cdot \nabla )\mathbf{u}=-\nabla (p/\rho +\Phi )$. Using $(\mathbf{u}\cdot \nabla )\mathbf{u}=\nabla (|\mathbf{u}{|}^2/2)-\mathbf{u}\times \mathbf{\omega }$, take the curl to obtain ${\partial }_t\mathbf{\omega }=\nabla \times (\mathbf{u}\times \mathbf{\omega })$. Since both divergences vanish, the vector identity expands this toWithout incompressibility or the constant-density/barotropic hypothesis, extra compression or baroclinic terms are present; the printed equation uses these flow assumptions.

Let $\kappa (t)=\dot{h}/h$, with $h>0$. Axisymmetric mass conservation is $r^{-1}{\partial }_r(r{u}_r)+{\partial }_z{u}_z=0$. If $u_r$ is independent of $z$, then $u_z$ is affine in $z$. The impermeable moving-plate conditions $u_z(r,\pm h,t)=\pm \dot{h}$ force $u_z=\kappa z$, and integrating the radial equation gives $u_r=-\kappa r/2+C(t)/r$. Regularity at the axis excludes $C(t)/r$. The meridional part of the axisymmetric inviscid flow between moving parallel plates is thereforeFor no swirl, $u_{\theta }=0$ completes the field. Continuity alone does not determine azimuthal motion; this must be specified separately. More generally, prescribe a smooth regular initial profile $U(r)$ independent of $z$. The azimuthal part of Euler equations for an inviscid fluid isso conservation of $r{u}_{\theta }$ along radial particle paths gives $u_{\theta }(r,t)=\lambda U(\lambda r)$, where $\lambda =\sqrt{h/h_0}$. Together with the meridional components above, this gives a family of complete fields, with a suitable pressure determined by the radial and vertical equations. The field is therefore not unique without rotational data.

With the stated solid-body rotation, $u_{\theta }=\Omega (t)r$ and $\mathbf{\omega }=2\Omega {\mathbf{e}}_z$. The vorticity equation gives $2\dot{\Omega }=2\Omega {\partial }_z{u}_z=2\Omega \kappa$, henceFor a fluid particle, $\dot{r}=-\kappa r/2$, so $r^{2}h$ is constant and $r^2\Omega$ is constant. This is conservation of angular momentum about the axis: radial spreading when the plates approach decreases the angular velocity. The meridional and rotating fields satisfy the inviscid equations with an appropriate pressure; no tangential no-slip condition is imposed on inviscid plates.

Interpret the three conditions at zero as an initial-value problem on $x\ge 0$, with interior source $\xi >0$. A causal Green function satisfies ${\mathcal{L}}_{x}G=\delta (x-\xi )$ and vanishes for $x<\xi$. Since the leading coefficient of the third derivative is one, the jump conditions for a third-order Green function require $G$ and $G^{\prime }$ continuous and $G^{\prime \prime }$ to jump by one. For $t=x-\xi >0$, the homogeneous roots are $0,2,-1$. Solving $g(0)=g^{\prime }(0)=0$, $g^{\prime \prime }(0)=1$ yieldsFor $\xi >0$ it vanishes near zero, so all three initial boundary conditions hold. The matching conditions ensure that ${\partial }_x^{3}G$ supplies precisely a Dirac delta, without unwanted delta derivatives.

The homogeneous solution carrying the nonzero initial data is $y_h=\frac{1}{2}-\frac{1}{6}{e}^{2x}+\frac{2}{3}{e}^{-x}$. The Green-function representation therefore givesFor $x<1$ the integral vanishes. For $x\ge 1$, set $t=x-1$ and integrate to obtain $\frac{e}{6}(e^{2t}-3e^t-e^{-t}+3)$. ThusThe bracket and its first two derivatives vanish at $x=1$, so $y,y^{\prime },y^{\prime \prime }$ match continuously there; its third derivative jumps by the stated forcing. The value assigned to $\Theta (0)$ is immaterial. The source at the initial endpoint $\xi =0$ would need a separate endpoint-delta convention, which is not used in this integral.

Fix $R>|z|$. The Cauchy integral formula and the uniformly convergent geometric series on $|\zeta |=R$ giveDefiningthe remainder after degree $N$ has modulus at most $M_R(|z|/R{)}^{N+1}/(1-|z|/R)$, which tends to zero uniformly on each smaller disk. Differentiating the integral formula at zero identifies $c_j=f^{(j)}(0)/j!$, independently of $R$. Since $f$ is an entire function, $R$ can be chosen larger than any given $|z|$, proving the global Taylor series.

For the requested radius $r$, the same coefficient integral gives the Cauchy estimateTo characterize equality in the Cauchy coefficient estimate, parametrize its circle:If $M_r=0$, the identity theorem gives $f=0$. Otherwise equality in the modulus bound requires the continuous integrand to have both constant modulus $M_r$ and constant complex argument. To see this directly, rotate its average to the positive real axis: its real part is bounded above by $M_r$, and equality of its average with $M_r$ forces that real part to equal $M_r$ everywhere. Thus $f(r{e}^{i\theta })=c_n{r}^n{e}^{in\theta }$ on the circle. The identity theorem extends that equality to the plane. Conversely every such monomial attains the bound. Thereforeincluding the zero function and, when $n=0$, arbitrary constant functions.

A contraction mapping satisfies $d(Tx,Ty)\le qd(x,y)$ for all $x,y$, with one fixed $0\le q<1$. The contraction mapping theorem states that such a map on a nonempty complete metric space has a unique fixed point and that every sequence of iterates converges to it.

Choose $x_0$ and put $x_{n+1}=T{x}_n$. Iteration gives $d(x_{n+1},x_n)\le q^{n}d(x_1,x_0)$, so for $m>n$,Thus the iterates form a Cauchy sequence and converge by completeness to $x_{\ast }$. The Lipschitz bound gives continuity of $T$, hence $T{x}_{\ast }=x_{\ast }$. Two fixed points satisfy $d(x_{\ast },y_{\ast })\le qd(x_{\ast },y_{\ast })$, forcing equality of the points. Passing $m\to \infty$ also gives the usual geometric error estimate. For $q=0$, convergence occurs after one application.

If $f^k$ is a contraction mapping, let $x_{\ast }$ be its unique fixed point. The commutation identity $f^{k}f=f{f}^k$ gives $f^k(f{x}_{\ast })=f{x}_{\ast }$, so uniqueness implies $f{x}_{\ast }=x_{\ast }$. Any fixed point of $f$ is a fixed point of $f^k$, giving uniqueness, without even assuming $f$ continuous. On the complete discrete metric space $\{0,1,2\}$, the map $f(0)=f(1)=0$, $f(2)=1$ has constant second iterate but is not a contraction: $d(f2,f0)=d(2,0)=1$.

For the specified function, $x+\sin x\ge 0$ on $[0,\infty )$ because it starts at zero and has derivative $1+\cos x\ge 0$. Therefore $f$ maps the complete half-line into itself. Its derivative satisfiesThe mean value theorem therefore makes it a contraction of constant at most $2/3$. Hence

Associate to $f$ the symmetric bilinear form $B(u,v)=\frac{1}{2}(f(u+v)-f(u)-f(v))$. If $f$ is identically zero, every basis is diagonal. Otherwise choose $v$ with $f(v)\ne 0$. Every $w$ has the decompositionwhose second term lies in $v^{\perp }$. Thus $V=\mathbb{R}v\oplus v^{\perp }$, with no cross term in $f$. Induction on dimension gives a diagonal basis. Rescaling its nonzero entries reduces the form towith $k$ additional zero coordinates. Define the rank of a quadratic form $r=p+q$ and its signature $s=p-q$. Rank is intrinsic, since it is the rank of $v\mapsto B(v,\cdot )$, equivalently $n-\dim \mathrm{rad}B$. Also $p$ is the greatest dimension of a subspace on which the restriction of $f$ is a positive-definite quadratic form: any such subspace intersects the negative-plus-zero coordinate space only at zero, so its dimension is at most $p$, while the positive coordinate space attains $p$. The corresponding negative statement identifies $q$. This proves the basis independence of $r$ and $s$, the Sylvester's law of inertia conclusion.

For a totally isotropic subspace $W$ on which $f$ vanishes, polarization identity also makes $B$ vanish on $W\times W$. Quotient by the radical of a bilinear form. In the resulting nondegenerate form, projection of an isotropic subspace to either the positive or negative coordinate space is injective, so its dimension is at most $\min (p,q)$. Consequently $\dim W\le k+\min (p,q)$. The radical of a bilinear form together with the vectors $e_i^{+}+e_i^{-}$, $1\le i\le \min (p,q)$, attains this bound. The maximum dimension of a totally isotropic subspace is thereforeThe criterion for membership in a diagonal basis follows similarly: a nonzero vector can belong to a diagonal basis if it has nonzero quadratic value, by the same orthogonal splitting, or if it lies in the radical of a bilinear form, by choosing a radical basis containing it. An isotropic vector in a diagonal basis must be orthogonal to every basis vector, and hence must lie in that radical. For the specified form, its radical is the $z$-axis, giving exactlyThe zero vector never belongs to a basis.