Fractional calculus is undergoing rapidly and ongoing development. We can already recognize, that within its framework new concepts and strategies emerge, which lead to new challenging insights and surprising correlations between different branches of physics. This book is an invitation both to the interested student and the professional researcher. It presents a thorough introduction to the basics of fractional calculus and guides the reader directly to the current state-of-the-art physical interpretation. It is also devoted to the application of fractional calculus on physical problems, in the subjects of classical mechanics, friction, damping, oscillations, group theory, quantum mechanics, nuclear physics, and hadron spectroscopy up to quantum field theory.
In the last two decades, fractional (or non integer) differentiation has played a very important role in various fields such as mechanics, electricity, chemistry, biology, economics, control theory and signal and image processing. For example, in the last three fields, some important considerations such as modelling, curve fitting, filtering, pattern recognition, edge detection, identification, stability, controllability, observability and robustness are now linked to long-range dependence phenomena. Similar progress has been made in other fields listed here. The scope of the book is thus to present the state of the art in the study of fractional systems and the application of fractional differentiation. As this volume covers recent applications of fractional calculus, it will be of interest to engineers, scientists, and applied mathematicians.
When a new extraordinary and outstanding theory is stated, it has to face criticism and skeptism, because it is beyond the usual concept. The fractional calculus though not new, was not discussed or developed for a long time, particularly for lack of its application to real life problems. It is extraordinary because it does not deal with ‘ordinary’ differential calculus. It is outstanding because it can now be applied to situations where existing theories fail to give satisfactory results. In this book not only mathematical abstractions are discussed in a lucid manner, with physical mathematical and geometrical explanations, but also several practical applications are given particularly for system identification, description and then efficient controls. The normal physical laws like, transport theory, electrodynamics, equation of motions, elasticity, viscosity, and several others of are based on ‘ordinary’ calculus. In this book these physical laws are generalized in fractional calculus contexts; taking, heterogeneity effect in transport background, the space having traps or islands, irregular distribution of charges, non-ideal spring with mass connected to a pointless-mass ball, material behaving with viscous as well as elastic properties, system relaxation with and without memory, physics of random delay in computer network; and several others; mapping the reality of nature closely. The concept of fractional and complex order differentiation and integration are elaborated mathematically, physically and geometrically with examples. The practical utility of local fractional differentiation for enhancing the character of singularity at phase transition or characterizing the irregularity measure of response function is deliberated. Practical results of viscoelastic experiments, fractional order controls experiments, design of fractional controller and practical circuit synthesis for fractional order elements are elaborated in this book. The book also maps theory of classical integer order differential equations to fractional calculus contexts, and deals in details with conflicting and demanding initialization issues, required in classical techniques. The book presents a modern approach to solve the ‘solvable’ system of fractional and other differential equations, linear, non-linear; without perturbation or transformations, but by applying physical principle of action-and-opposite-reaction, giving ‘approximately exact’ series solutions. Historically, Sir Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wihelm Leibniz independently discovered calculus in the middle of the 17th century. In recognition to this remarkable discovery, J.von Neumann remarked, “...the calculus was the first achievement of modern mathematics and it is difficult to overestimate its importance. I think it defines more equivocally than anything else the inception of modern mathematical analysis which is logical development, still constitute the greatest technical advance in exact thinking.” This XXI century has thus started to ‘think-exactly’ for advancement in science & technology by growing application of fractional calculus, and this century has started speaking the language which nature understands the best.
In this volume various applications are discussed, in particular to the hyper-Bessel differential operators and equations, Dzrbashjan-Gelfond-Leontiev operators and Borel type transforms, convolutions, new representations of hypergeometric functions, solutions to classes of differential and integral equations, transmutation method, and generalized integral transforms. Some open problems are also posed. This book is intended for graduate and post-graduate students, lecturers, researchers and others working in applied mathematical analysis, mathematical physics and related disciplines.
The Variable-Order Fractional Calculus of Variations is devoted to the study of fractional operators with variable order and, in particular, variational problems involving variable-order operators. This brief presents a new numerical tool for the solution of differential equations involving Caputo derivatives of fractional variable order. Three Caputo-type fractional operators are considered, and for each one, an approximation formula is obtained in terms of standard (integer-order) derivatives only. Estimations for the error of the approximations are also provided. The contributors consider variational problems that may be subject to one or more constraints, where the functional depends on a combined Caputo derivative of variable fractional order. In particular, they establish necessary optimality conditions of Euler–Lagrange type. As the terminal point in the cost integral is free, as is the terminal state, transversality conditions are also obtained. The Variable-Order Fractional Calculus of Variations is a valuable source of information for researchers in mathematics, physics, engineering, control and optimization; it provides both analytical and numerical methods to deal with variational problems. It is also of interest to academics and postgraduates in these fields, as it solves multiple variational problems subject to one or more constraints in a single brief.
This book covers applications of fractional calculus used for medical and health science. It offers a collection of research articles built into chapters on classical and modern dynamical systems formulated by fractional differential equations describing human diseases and how to control them. The mathematical results included in the book will be helpful to mathematicians and doctors by enabling them to explain real-life problems accurately. The book will also offer case studies of real-life situations with an emphasis on describing the mathematical results and showing how to apply the results to medical and health science, and at the same time highlighting modeling strategies. The book will be useful to graduate level students, educators and researchers interested in mathematics and medical science.
Fractional calculus is a collection of relatively little-known mathematical results concerning generalizations of differentiation and integration to noninteger orders. While these results have been accumulated over centuries in various branches of mathematics, they have until recently found little appreciation or application in physics and other mathematically oriented sciences. This situation is beginning to change, and there are now a growing number of research areas in physics which employ fractional calculus.This volume provides an introduction to fractional calculus for physicists, and collects easily accessible review articles surveying those areas of physics in which applications of fractional calculus have recently become prominent.
This text provides the first comprehensive treatment of the discrete fractional calculus. Experienced researchers will find the text useful as a reference for discrete fractional calculus and topics of current interest. Students who are interested in learning about discrete fractional calculus will find this text to provide a useful starting point. Several exercises are offered at the end of each chapter and select answers have been provided at the end of the book. The presentation of the content is designed to give ample flexibility for potential use in a myriad of courses and for independent study. The novel approach taken by the authors includes a simultaneous treatment of the fractional- and integer-order difference calculus (on a variety of time scales, including both the usual forward and backwards difference operators). The reader will acquire a solid foundation in the classical topics of the discrete calculus while being introduced to exciting recent developments, bringing them to the frontiers of the subject. Most chapters may be covered or omitted, depending upon the background of the student. For example, the text may be used as a primary reference in an introductory course for difference equations which also includes discrete fractional calculus. Chapters 1—2 provide a basic introduction to the delta calculus including fractional calculus on the set of integers. For courses where students already have background in elementary real analysis, Chapters 1—2 may be covered quickly and readers may then skip to Chapters 6—7 which present some basic results in fractional boundary value problems (FBVPs). Chapters 6—7 in conjunction with some of the current literature listed in the Bibliography can provide a basis for a seminar in the current theory of FBVPs. For a two-semester course, Chapters 1—5 may be covered in depth, providing a very thorough introduction to both the discrete fractional calculus as well as the integer-order calculus.
Commences with the historical development of fractional calculus, its mathematical theory—particularly the Riemann-Liouville version. Numerous examples and theoretical applications of the theory are presented. Features topics associated with fractional differential equations. Discusses Weyl fractional calculus and some of its uses. Includes selected physical problems which lead to fractional differential or integral equations.
