What function is zero at zero, strictly positive elsewhere, infinitely differentiable at zero and has all...
analysis/c.infinity
Problem
What function is zero at zero, strictly positive elsewhere, infinitely differentiable at zero and has all zero derivatives at zero?
Show solution
exp(-1/x^2) There are infinitely many other such functions. This tells us why Taylor Series are a more limited device than they might be. We form a Taylor series by looking at the derivatives of a function at a given point; but this example shows us that the derivatives at a point may tell us almost nothing about its behavior away from that point.