96
CERTAIN IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS
etc., when
is a continuous function of
commencing with the value
, or when we choose to attribute to
a fictitious continuity commencing with the value zero, as described on page 90.
If we substitute in these equations the values of
and
which we have found, we get
|
(304)
|
|
(305)
|
where

may be substituted for

in the cases above described. If, therefore,

is known, and

as function of

,

and

may be found by quadratures.
It appears from these equations that
is always a continuous increasing function of
, commencing with the value
, even when this is not the case with respect to
and
. The same is true of
, when
, or when
if
increases continuously with
from the value
.
The last equation may be derived from the preceding by differentiation with respect to
. Successive differentiations give, if
,
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(306)
|

is therefore positive if

. It is an increasing function of

, if

. If

is not capable of being diminished without limit,

vanishes for the least possible value of

, if

. If

is even,
|
(307)
|