In mathematics, a quasi-analytic class of functions is a generalization of the class of real analytic functions based upon the following fact: If f is an analytic function on an interval [a,b] ⊂ R, and at some point f and all of its derivatives are zero, then f is identically zero on all of [a,b]. Quasi-analytic classes are broader classes of functions for which this statement still holds true.
Let M = { M k } k = 0 ∞ {\displaystyle M=\{M_{k}\}_{k=0}^{\infty }} be a sequence of positive real numbers. Then the Denjoy-Carleman class of functions CM([a,b]) is defined to be those f ∈ C∞([a,b]) which satisfy
for all x ∈ [a,b], some constant A, and all non-negative integers k. If Mk = 1 this is exactly the class of real analytic functions on [a,b].
The class CM([a,b]) is said to be quasi-analytic if whenever f ∈ CM([a,b]) and
for some point x ∈ [a,b] and all k, then f is identically equal to zero.
A function f is called a quasi-analytic function if f is in some quasi-analytic class.
For a function f : R n → R {\displaystyle f:\mathbb {R} ^{n}\to \mathbb {R} } and multi-indexes j = ( j 1 , j 2 , … , j n ) ∈ N n {\displaystyle j=(j_{1},j_{2},\ldots ,j_{n})\in \mathbb {N} ^{n}} , denote | j | = j 1 + j 2 + … + j n {\displaystyle |j|=j_{1}+j_{2}+\ldots +j_{n}} , and
and
Then f {\displaystyle f} is called quasi-analytic on the open set U ⊂ R n {\displaystyle U\subset \mathbb {R} ^{n}} if for every compact K ⊂ U {\displaystyle K\subset U} there is a constant A {\displaystyle A} such that
for all multi-indexes j ∈ N n {\displaystyle j\in \mathbb {N} ^{n}} and all points x ∈ K {\displaystyle x\in K} .
The Denjoy-Carleman class of functions of n {\displaystyle n} variables with respect to the sequence M {\displaystyle M} on the set U {\displaystyle U} can be denoted C n M ( U ) {\displaystyle C_{n}^{M}(U)} , although other notations abound.
The Denjoy-Carleman class C n M ( U ) {\displaystyle C_{n}^{M}(U)} is said to be quasi-analytic when the only function in it having all its partial derivatives equal to zero at a point is the function identically equal to zero.
A function of several variables is said to be quasi-analytic when it belongs to a quasi-analytic Denjoy-Carleman class.
In the definitions above it is possible to assume that M 1 = 1 {\displaystyle M_{1}=1} and that the sequence M k {\displaystyle M_{k}} is non-decreasing.
The sequence M k {\displaystyle M_{k}} is said to be logarithmically convex, if
When M k {\displaystyle M_{k}} is logarithmically convex, then ( M k ) 1 / k {\displaystyle (M_{k})^{1/k}} is increasing and
The quasi-analytic class C n M {\displaystyle C_{n}^{M}} with respect to a logarithmically convex sequence M {\displaystyle M} satisfies:
The Denjoy–Carleman theorem, proved by Carleman (1926) after Denjoy (1921) gave some partial results, gives criteria on the sequence M under which CM([a,b]) is a quasi-analytic class. It states that the following conditions are equivalent:
The proof that the last two conditions are equivalent to the second uses Carleman's inequality.
Example: Denjoy (1921) pointed out that if Mn is given by one of the sequences
then the corresponding class is quasi-analytic. The first sequence gives analytic functions.
For a logarithmically convex sequence M {\displaystyle M} the following properties of the corresponding class of functions hold:
A function g : R n → R {\displaystyle g:\mathbb {R} ^{n}\to \mathbb {R} } is said to be regular of order d {\displaystyle d} with respect to x n {\displaystyle x_{n}} if g ( 0 , x n ) = h ( x n ) x n d {\displaystyle g(0,x_{n})=h(x_{n})x_{n}^{d}} and h ( 0 ) ≠ 0 {\displaystyle h(0)\neq 0} . Given g {\displaystyle g} regular of order d {\displaystyle d} with respect to x n {\displaystyle x_{n}} , a ring A n {\displaystyle A_{n}} of real or complex functions of n {\displaystyle n} variables is said to satisfy the Weierstrass division with respect to g {\displaystyle g} if for every f ∈ A n {\displaystyle f\in A_{n}} there is q ∈ A {\displaystyle q\in A} , and h 1 , h 2 , … , h d − 1 ∈ A n − 1 {\displaystyle h_{1},h_{2},\ldots ,h_{d-1}\in A_{n-1}} such that
While the ring of analytic functions and the ring of formal power series both satisfy the Weierstrass division property, the same is not true for other quasi-analytic classes.
If M {\displaystyle M} is logarithmically convex and C M {\displaystyle C^{M}} is not equal to the class of analytic function, then C M {\displaystyle C^{M}} doesn't satisfy the Weierstrass division property with respect to g ( x 1 , x 2 , … , x n ) = x 1 + x 2 2 {\displaystyle g(x_{1},x_{2},\ldots ,x_{n})=x_{1}+x_{2}^{2}} .