Local variability of non-smooth functions (Q1006685)

The paper begins with the definitions and various properties of variability exponents and variability coefficients. Let \(f: D\to\mathbb{R}\), where \(D\subset\mathbb{R}\), and let \(a\in D\). We say that \(f\) has right variability exponent \(\lambda\in\mathbb{R}\) at \(a\) if \[ \lim_{h\downarrow0}\frac{f(a+h)-f(a)}{h^{\lambda}} \] exists in \(\mathbb{R}\setminus\{0\}\), in this case the limit is called the right variability coefficient of \(f\) at \(a\). The left variability exponent/coefficient and the two-sided variability exponent/coefficient are defined in a similar fashion. The author then moves on to higher-order variability exponents/coefficients. Let \(f\) and \(a\) be as above. The first-order right variability exponent \(\lambda_1\) and coefficient \(c_1\) of \(f\) at \(a\) are simply the right variability exponent and coefficient of \(f\) at \(a\). Suppose that the \(k\)th-order right variability exponents \(\lambda_k\) and coefficients \(c_k\) of \(f\) at \(a\) have been defined for \(k=1,\ldots,n\). We say that \(f\) has \((n+1)\)st-order right variability exponent \(\lambda_{n+1}\) at \(a\) if \[ \lim_{h\downarrow0}\frac{f(a+h)-f(a)-\sum_{k=1}^{n}c_kh^{\lambda_k}}{h^{\lambda_{n+1}}} \] exists in \(\mathbb{R}\setminus\{0\}\), in which case the limit is called the right \((n+1)\)st variability coefficient of \(f\) at \(a\). Higher-order variability exponents/coefficients naturally lead to a generalisation of Taylor's expansion of functions. The series that appear in the expansion are of the form \[ c_0+c_1(x-a)^{\lambda_1}+c_2(x-a)^{\lambda_2}+\cdots, \] where the coefficients \(c_n\) and the exponents \(\lambda_n\) are required to satisfy certain conditions. Such series are called the variability series and are the topic of the final part of the article. According to the author, the notions studied here may prove to be useful for investigating local behaviour of non-differentiable functions.