Power series

Taylor series

A Taylor series can be viewed in two ways:

An order-𝑛 Taylor polynomial is constructed so that its value and all its derivatives up to order 𝑛 match that of the original function 𝑓 at a point 𝑓(𝑎). It is determined to be

𝑇𝑓𝑛,𝑎(𝑥)=𝑛𝑚=0𝑓(𝑚)(𝑎)𝑚!(𝑥𝑎)𝑚

In the case of 𝑎 =0, it is called a Maclaurin polynomial

𝑇𝑓𝑛,0(𝑥)=𝑛𝑚=0𝑓(𝑚)(0)𝑚!𝑥𝑚

As a correspondance, we have the statement

𝑓(𝑥)=𝑇𝑓,0(𝑥)=𝑚=0𝑓(𝑚)(0)𝑚!𝑥𝑚

Error

The error of an order 𝑛 Taylor polynomial is given by Taylor's theorem, which converges to zero as 𝑛 if and only if 𝑓 is an analytic function.

Complex functions

The notion of the Taylor series applies to complex functions as well. For any function 𝑓 that is analytic for some domain 𝐷 where 𝑧0 𝐷,

𝑓(𝑧)=𝑇𝑓,𝑧0(𝑧)=𝑚=0𝑓(𝑚)(𝑧0)𝑚!(𝑧𝑧0)𝑚

This series converges for any disc centred at 𝑧0 contained by 𝐷.1 In Complex analysis MOC, a similar power series called the Laurent series includes negative powers, that is 𝑚 ranges through all of . This generalises the Taylor series to cover some non-analytic functions.


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Footnotes

  1. 2023. Advanced Mathematical Methods, p. 58