Concept information
Preferred term
distribution
Definition(s)
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Distributions, also known as Schwartz distributions or generalized functions, are objects that generalize the classical notion of functions in mathematical analysis. Distributions make it possible to differentiate functions whose derivatives do not exist in the classical sense. In particular, any locally integrable function has a distributional derivative. Distributions are widely used in the theory of partial differential equations, where it may be easier to establish the existence of distributional solutions (weak solutions) than classical solutions, or where appropriate classical solutions may not exist. Distributions are also important in physics and engineering where many problems naturally lead to differential equations whose solutions or initial conditions are singular, such as the Dirac delta function.
(Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distribution_(mathematics))
Broader concept(s)
Narrower concept(s)
Synonym(s)
- generalized function
- Schwartz distribution
In other languages
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French
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fonction généralisée
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théorie des distributions
URI
http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/PSR-JN985JTM-R
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