Visible spectrumThe visible spectrum is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye. Electromagnetic radiation in this range of wavelengths is called visible light or simply light. A typical human eye will respond to wavelengths from about 380 to about 700 nanometers. In terms of frequency, this corresponds to a band in the vicinity of 400–790 terahertz. These boundaries are not sharply defined and may vary per individual. Under optimal conditions these limits of human perception can extend to 310 nm (ultraviolet) and 1100 nm (near infrared).
Computer-assisted proofA computer-assisted proof is a mathematical proof that has been at least partially generated by computer. Most computer-aided proofs to date have been implementations of large proofs-by-exhaustion of a mathematical theorem. The idea is to use a computer program to perform lengthy computations, and to provide a proof that the result of these computations implies the given theorem. In 1976, the four color theorem was the first major theorem to be verified using a computer program.
Unitary groupIn mathematics, the unitary group of degree n, denoted U(n), is the group of n × n unitary matrices, with the group operation of matrix multiplication. The unitary group is a subgroup of the general linear group GL(n, C). Hyperorthogonal group is an archaic name for the unitary group, especially over finite fields. For the group of unitary matrices with determinant 1, see Special unitary group. In the simple case n = 1, the group U(1) corresponds to the circle group, consisting of all complex numbers with absolute value 1, under multiplication.
Proofs and RefutationsProofs and Refutations: The Logic of Mathematical Discovery is a 1976 book by philosopher Imre Lakatos expounding his view of the progress of mathematics. The book is written as a series of Socratic dialogues involving a group of students who debate the proof of the Euler characteristic defined for the polyhedron. A central theme is that definitions are not carved in stone, but often have to be patched up in the light of later insights, in particular failed proofs. This gives mathematics a somewhat experimental flavour.
Hölder's inequalityIn mathematical analysis, Hölder's inequality, named after Otto Hölder, is a fundamental inequality between integrals and an indispensable tool for the study of Lp spaces. The numbers p and q above are said to be Hölder conjugates of each other. The special case p = q = 2 gives a form of the Cauchy–Schwarz inequality. Hölder's inequality holds even if 1 is infinite, the right-hand side also being infinite in that case. Conversely, if f is in Lp(μ) and g is in Lq(μ), then the pointwise product fg is in L1(μ).
Conjugate transposeIn mathematics, the conjugate transpose, also known as the Hermitian transpose, of an complex matrix is an matrix obtained by transposing and applying complex conjugate on each entry (the complex conjugate of being , for real numbers and ). It is often denoted as or or and very commonly in physics as . For real matrices, the conjugate transpose is just the transpose, . The conjugate transpose of an matrix is formally defined by where the subscript denotes the -th entry, for and , and the overbar denotes a scalar complex conjugate.
Proof theoryProof theory is a major branch of mathematical logic and theoretical computer science within which proofs are treated as formal mathematical objects, facilitating their analysis by mathematical techniques. Proofs are typically presented as inductively-defined data structures such as lists, boxed lists, or trees, which are constructed according to the axioms and rules of inference of a given logical system. Consequently, proof theory is syntactic in nature, in contrast to model theory, which is semantic in nature.
Unitary operatorIn functional analysis, a unitary operator is a surjective bounded operator on a Hilbert space that preserves the inner product. Unitary operators are usually taken as operating on a Hilbert space, but the same notion serves to define the concept of isomorphism between Hilbert spaces. A unitary element is a generalization of a unitary operator. In a unital algebra, an element U of the algebra is called a unitary element if UU = UU = I, where I is the identity element. Definition 1.
Triangle inequalityIn mathematics, the triangle inequality states that for any triangle, the sum of the lengths of any two sides must be greater than or equal to the length of the remaining side. This statement permits the inclusion of degenerate triangles, but some authors, especially those writing about elementary geometry, will exclude this possibility, thus leaving out the possibility of equality. If x, y, and z are the lengths of the sides of the triangle, with no side being greater than z, then the triangle inequality states that with equality only in the degenerate case of a triangle with zero area.
Matrix normIn mathematics, a matrix norm is a vector norm in a vector space whose elements (vectors) are matrices (of given dimensions). Given a field of either real or complex numbers, let be the K-vector space of matrices with rows and columns and entries in the field . A matrix norm is a norm on . This article will always write such norms with double vertical bars (like so: ).
Skew-Hermitian matrixNOTOC In linear algebra, a square matrix with complex entries is said to be skew-Hermitian or anti-Hermitian if its conjugate transpose is the negative of the original matrix. That is, the matrix is skew-Hermitian if it satisfies the relation where denotes the conjugate transpose of the matrix . In component form, this means that for all indices and , where is the element in the -th row and -th column of , and the overline denotes complex conjugation.
Inequality (mathematics)In mathematics, an inequality is a relation which makes a non-equal comparison between two numbers or other mathematical expressions. It is used most often to compare two numbers on the number line by their size. There are several different notations used to represent different kinds of inequalities: The notation a < b means that a is less than b. The notation a > b means that a is greater than b. In either case, a is not equal to b. These relations are known as strict inequalities, meaning that a is strictly less than or strictly greater than b.
