No Arabic abstract
The mean value theorem of calculus states that, given a differentiable function $f$ on an interval $[a, b]$, there exists at least one mean value abscissa $c$ such that the slope of the tangent line at $c$ is equal to the slope of the secant line through $(a, f(a))$ and $(b, f(b))$. In this article, we study how the choices of $c$ relate to varying the right endpoint $b$. In particular, we ask: When we can write $c$ as a continuous function of $b$ in some interval? Drawing inspiration from graphed examples, we first investigate this question by proving and using a simplified implicit function theorem. To handle certain edge cases, we then build on this analysis to prove and use a simplified Morses lemma. Finally, further developing the tools proved so far, we conclude that if $f$ is analytic, then it is always possible to choose mean value abscissae so that $c$ is a continuous function of $b$, at least locally.
The aim of this note is to characterize all pairs of sufficiently smooth functions for which the mean value in the Cauchy Mean Value Theorem is taken at a point which has a well-determined position in the interval. As an application of this result, a partial answer is given to a question posed by Sahoo and Riedel.
For two-player quantum games, a Nash equilibrium consists of a pair of unitary operators. Here we present a scheme for such games in which each players strategy consists of choosing the orientation of a unit vector and Nash equilibria of the game are directional pairs. Corresponding classical games are then recovered from constraints placed on each players directional choices.
We generalize the classical mean value theorem of differential calculus by allowing the use of a Caputo-type fractional derivative instead of the commonly used first-order derivative. Similarly, we generalize the classical mean value theorem for integrals by allowing the corresponding fractional integral, viz. the Riemann-Liouville operator, instead of a classical (first-order) integral. As an application of the former result we then prove a uniqueness theorem for initial value problems involving Caputo-type fractional differential operators. This theorem generalizes the classical Nagumo theorem for first-order differential equations.
Multiple systems estimation strategies have recently been applied to quantify hard-to-reach populations, particularly when estimating the number of victims of human trafficking and modern slavery. In such contexts, it is not uncommon to see sparse or even no overlap between some of the lists on which the estimates are based. These create difficulties in model fitting and selection, and we develop inference procedures to address these challenges. The approach is based on Poisson log-linear regression modeling. Issues investigated in detail include taking proper account of data sparsity in the estimation procedure, as well as the existence and identifiability of maximum likelihood estimates. A stepwise method for choosing the most suitable parameters is developed, together with a bootstrap approach to finding confidence intervals for the total population size. We apply the strategy to two empirical data sets of trafficking in US regions, and find that the approach results in stable, reasonable estimates. An accompanying R software implementation has been made publicly available.
The interstellar medium (ISM) is subject, on one hand, to heating and cooling processes that tend to segregate it into distinct phases due to thermal instability (TI), and on the other, to turbulence-driving mechanisms that tend to produce strong nonlinear fluctuations in all the thermodynamic variables. In this regime, large-scale turbulent compressions in the stable warm neutral medium (WNM) dominate the clump-formation process rather than the linear developent of TI. Cold clumps formed by this mechanism are often bounded by sharp density and temperature discontinuities, which however are not contact discontinuities as in the classical 2-phase model, but rather phase transition fronts, across which there is net mass and momentum flux from the WNM into the clumps. The clumps grow mainly by accretion through their boundaries, are in both thermal and ram pressure balance with their surroundings, and are internally turbulent as well, thus also having significant density fluctuations inside. The temperature and density of the cold and warm gas around the phase transition fronts fluctuate with time and location due to fluctuations in the turbulent pressure. Moreover, shock-compressed diffuse unstable gas can remain in the unstable regime for up to a few Myr before it undergoes a phase transition to the cold phase. These processes populate the classically forbidden density and temperature ranges. Since gas at all temperatures appears to be present in bi- or tri-stable turbulence, we conclude that the word phase applies only locally, surrounding phase transition sites in the gas. Globally, the word phase must relax its meaning to simply denote a certain temperature or density range.