Discrete Calculus

This unique text brings together into a single framework current research in the three areas of discrete calculus, complex networks, and algorithmic content extraction. Many example applications from several fields of computational science are provided.

This book provides an introduction to combinatorics, finite calculus, formal series, recurrences, and approximations of sums. Readers will find not only coverage of the basic elements of the subjects but also deep insights into a range of less common topics rarely considered within a single book, such as counting with occupancy constraints, a clear distinction between algebraic and analytical properties of formal power series, an introduction to discrete dynamical systems with a thorough description of Sarkovskii’s theorem, symbolic calculus, and a complete description of the Euler-Maclaurin formulas and their applications. Although several books touch on one or more of these aspects, precious few cover all of them. The authors, both pure mathematicians, have attempted to develop methods that will allow the student to formulate a given problem in a precise mathematical framework. The aim is to equip readers with a sound strategy for classifying and solving problems by pursuing a mathematically rigorous yet user-friendly approach. This is particularly useful in combinatorics, a field where, all too often, exercises are solved by means of ad hoc tricks. The book contains more than 400 examples and about 300 problems, and the reader will be able to find the proof of every result. To further assist students and teachers, important matters and comments are highlighted, and parts that can be omitted, at least during a first and perhaps second reading, are identified.

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.

"With its origins stretching back several centuries, discrete calculus is now an increasingly central methodology for many problems related to discrete systems and algorithms. The topics covered here usually arise in many branches of science and technology"

This book constitutes the proceedings of the Second IAPR International Conference on Discrete Geometry and Mathematical Morphology, DGMM 2022, which was held during October 24-27, 2022, in Strasbourg, France. The 33 papers included in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 45 submissions. They were organized in topical sections as follows: discrete and combinatorial topology; discrete tomography and inverse problems; multivariate and PDE-based mathematical morphology, morphological filtering; hierarchical and Graph-Based Models, Analysis and Segmentation; discrete geometry - models, transforms, and visualization; learning based morphology to Mathematical Morphology; and distance transform. The book also contains 3 invited keynote papers.

This book fills a gap in the literature by introducing numerical techniques to solve problems of fractional calculus of variations (FCV). In most cases, finding the analytic solution to such problems is extremely difficult or even impossible, and numerical methods need to be used.The authors are well-known researchers in the area of FCV and the book contains some of their recent results, serving as a companion volume to Introduction to the Fractional Calculus of Variations by A B Malinowska and D F M Torres, where analytical methods are presented to solve FCV problems. After some preliminaries on the subject, different techniques are presented in detail with numerous examples to help the reader to better understand the methods. The techniques presented may be used not only to deal with FCV problems but also in other contexts of fractional calculus, such as fractional differential equations and fractional optimal control. It is suitable as an advanced book for graduate students in mathematics, physics and engineering, as well as for researchers interested in fractional calculus.

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed proceedings of the 20th IAPR International Conference on Discrete Geometry for Computer Imagery, DGCI 2017, held in Vienna, Austria, in September 2017. The 28 revised full papers presented together with 3 invited talks were carefully selected from 36 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on geometric transforms; discrete tomography; discrete modeling and visualization; morphological analysis; discrete shape representation, recognition and analysis; discrete and combinatorial topology; discrete models and tools; models for discrete geometry.

"Provides a clear and comprehensive overview of the fundamental theories, numerical methods, and iterative processes encountered in difference calculus. Explores classical problems such as orthological polynomials, the Euclidean algorithm, roots of polynomials, and well-conditioning."