Fermat-Reyes method in the ring of Fermat reals (Q639539): Difference between revisions

This paper discusses calculus in the setting of Fermat reals. The ring of Fermat reals is a way of introducing infinitesimals into analysis that is an alternative to the usual construction of a hyperreal field as traditionally done in nonstandard analysis. First, a suitable category of ``smooth functions'' on open subsets of the Fermat reals is developed and then the existence of a smooth incremental ratio for smooth functions is proven (the so-called Fermat-Reyes theorem), allowing one to define derivatives for this class of functions. Some basic properties of the derivatives are then established.