98
CERTAIN IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS
corresponding to other than very small values of
may be regarded as a vanishing quantity.
This gives
|
(313)
|
or
|
(314)
|
From this equation, with (289), (300) and (309), we may determine the value of

corresponding to any given value of

, when

is known as function of

.
Any two systems may be regarded as together forming a third system. If we have
or
given as function of
for any two systems, we may express by quadratures
and
for the system formed by combining the two. If we distinguish by the suffixes
,
,
the quantities relating to the three systems, we have easily from the definitions of these quantities
|
(315)
|
|
(316)
|
where the double integral is to be taken within the limits
|
|
and the variables in the single integrals are connected by the last of these equations, while the limits are given by the first two, which characterize the least possible values of

and

respectively.
It will be observed that these equations are identical in form with those by which
and
are derived from
or
and
or
, except that they do not admit in the general case those transformations which result from substituting for
or
the particular functions which these symbols always represent.