Iterated derivatives of a function #

In this file, we define iteratively the n+1-th derivative of a function as the derivative of the n-th derivative. It is called iteratedFDeriv 𝕜 n f x where 𝕜 is the field, n is the number of iterations, f is the function and x is the point, and it is given as an n-multilinear map. We also define a version iteratedFDerivWithin relative to a domain. Note that, in domains, there may be several choices of possible derivative, so we make some arbitrary choice in the definition.

We also define a predicate HasFTaylorSeriesUpTo (and its localized version HasFTaylorSeriesUpToOn), saying that a sequence of multilinear maps is a sequence of derivatives of f. Contrary to iteratedFDerivWithin, it accomodates well the non-uniqueness of derivatives.

Main definitions and results #

Let f : E → F be a map between normed vector spaces over a nontrivially normed field 𝕜.

HasFTaylorSeriesUpTo n f p: expresses that the formal multilinear series p is a sequence of iterated derivatives of f, up to the n-th term (where n is a natural number or ∞).
HasFTaylorSeriesUpToOn n f p s: same thing, but inside a set s. The notion of derivative is now taken inside s. In particular, derivatives don't have to be unique.
iteratedFDerivWithin 𝕜 n f s x is an n-th derivative of f over the field 𝕜 on the set s at the point x. It is a continuous multilinear map from E^n to F, defined as a derivative within s of iteratedFDerivWithin 𝕜 (n-1) f s if one exists, and 0 otherwise.
iteratedFDeriv 𝕜 n f x is the n-th derivative of f over the field 𝕜 at the point x. It is a continuous multilinear map from E^n to F, defined as a derivative of iteratedFDeriv 𝕜 (n-1) f if one exists, and 0 otherwise.

Side of the composition, and universe issues #

With a naïve direct definition, the n-th derivative of a function belongs to the space E →L[𝕜] (E →L[𝕜] (E ... F)...))) where there are n iterations of E →L[𝕜]. This space may also be seen as the space of continuous multilinear functions on n copies of E with values in F, by uncurrying. This is the point of view that is usually adopted in textbooks, and that we also use. This means that the definition and the first proofs are slightly involved, as one has to keep track of the uncurrying operation. The uncurrying can be done from the left or from the right, amounting to defining the n+1-th derivative either as the derivative of the n-th derivative, or as the n-th derivative of the derivative. For proofs, it would be more convenient to use the latter approach (from the right), as it means to prove things at the n+1-th step we only need to understand well enough the derivative in E →L[𝕜] F (contrary to the approach from the left, where one would need to know enough on the n-th derivative to deduce things on the n+1-th derivative).

However, the definition from the right leads to a universe polymorphism problem: if we define iteratedFDeriv 𝕜 (n + 1) f x = iteratedFDeriv 𝕜 n (fderiv 𝕜 f) x by induction, we need to generalize over all spaces (as f and fderiv 𝕜 f don't take values in the same space). It is only possible to generalize over all spaces in some fixed universe in an inductive definition. For f : E → F, then fderiv 𝕜 f is a map E → (E →L[𝕜] F). Therefore, the definition will only work if F and E →L[𝕜] F are in the same universe.

This issue does not appear with the definition from the left, where one does not need to generalize over all spaces. Therefore, we use the definition from the left. This means some proofs later on become a little bit more complicated: to prove that a function is C^n, the most efficient approach is to exhibit a formula for its n-th derivative and prove it is continuous (contrary to the inductive approach where one would prove smoothness statements without giving a formula for the derivative). In the end, this approach is still satisfactory as it is good to have formulas for the iterated derivatives in various constructions.

One point where we depart from this explicit approach is in the proof of smoothness of a composition: there is a formula for the n-th derivative of a composition (Faà di Bruno's formula), but it is very complicated and barely usable, while the inductive proof is very simple. Thus, we give the inductive proof. As explained above, it works by generalizing over the target space, hence it only works well if all spaces belong to the same universe. To get the general version, we lift things to a common universe using a trick.

Variables management #

The textbook definitions and proofs use various identifications and abuse of notations, for instance when saying that the natural space in which the derivative lives, i.e., E →L[𝕜] (E →L[𝕜] ( ... →L[𝕜] F)), is the same as a space of multilinear maps. When doing things formally, we need to provide explicit maps for these identifications, and chase some diagrams to see everything is compatible with the identifications. In particular, one needs to check that taking the derivative and then doing the identification, or first doing the identification and then taking the derivative, gives the same result. The key point for this is that taking the derivative commutes with continuous linear equivalences. Therefore, we need to implement all our identifications with continuous linear equivs.

Notations #

We use the notation E [×n]→L[𝕜] F for the space of continuous multilinear maps on E^n with values in F. This is the space in which the n-th derivative of a function from E to F lives.

In this file, we denote ⊤ : ℕ∞ with ∞.

Iterated derivatives of a function #

Main definitions and results #

Side of the composition, and universe issues #

Variables management #

Notations #

Functions with a Taylor series on a domain #

Iterated derivative within a set #

Functions with a Taylor series on the whole space #

Iterated derivative #