This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Special Functions: Fractional Calculus and the Pathway for Entropy Dedicated to Professor Dr. A.M. Mathai on the occasion of his 80th Birthday" that was published in Axioms

This book focuses on Erdélyi–Kober fractional calculus from a statistical perspective inspired by solar neutrino physics. Results of diffusion entropy analysis and standard deviation analysis of data from the Super-Kamiokande solar neutrino experiment lead to the development of anomalous diffusion and reaction in terms of fractional calculus. The new statistical perspective of Erdélyi–Kober fractional operators outlined in this book will have fundamental applications in the theory of anomalous reaction and diffusion processes dealt with in physics. A major mathematical objective of this book is specifically to examine a new definition for fractional integrals in terms of the distributions of products and ratios of statistically independently distributed positive scalar random variables or in terms of Mellin convolutions of products and ratios in the case of real scalar variables. The idea will be generalized to cover multivariable cases as well as matrix variable cases. In the matrix variable case, M-convolutions of products and ratios will be used to extend the ideas. We then give a definition for the case of real-valued scalar functions of several matrices.

"This book aims to provide an overview of the special functions of fractional calculus and their applications in diffusion and random search processes. The book contains detailed calculations for various examples of anomalous diffusion, random search and stochastic resetting processes, which can be easily followed by the reader, who will be able to reproduce the obtained results. The book will be intended for advanced undergraduate and graduate students and researchers in physics, mathematics and other natural sciences due to the various examples which will be provided in the book"--

This textbook presents a rigorous approach to multivariable calculus in the context of model building and optimization problems. This comprehensive overview is based on lectures given at five SERC Schools from 2008 to 2012 and covers a broad range of topics that will enable readers to understand and create deterministic and nondeterministic models. Researchers, advanced undergraduate, and graduate students in mathematics, statistics, physics, engineering, and biological sciences will find this book to be a valuable resource for finding appropriate models to describe real-life situations. The first chapter begins with an introduction to fractional calculus moving on to discuss fractional integrals, fractional derivatives, fractional differential equations and their solutions. Multivariable calculus is covered in the second chapter and introduces the fundamentals of multivariable calculus (multivariable functions, limits and continuity, differentiability, directional derivatives and expansions of multivariable functions). Illustrative examples, input-output process, optimal recovery of functions and approximations are given; each section lists an ample number of exercises to heighten understanding of the material. Chapter three discusses deterministic/mathematical and optimization models evolving from differential equations, difference equations, algebraic models, power function models, input-output models and pathway models. Fractional integral and derivative models are examined. Chapter four covers non-deterministic/stochastic models. The random walk model, branching process model, birth and death process model, time series models, and regression type models are examined. The fifth chapter covers optimal design. General linear models from a statistical point of view are introduced; the Gauss–Markov theorem, quadratic forms, and generalized inverses of matrices are covered. Pathway, symmetric, and asymmetric models are covered in chapter six, the concepts are illustrated with graphs.

This book collects chapters on fixed-point theory and fractional calculus and their applications in science and engineering. It discusses state-of-the-art developments in these two areas through original new contributions from scientists across the world. It contains several useful tools and techniques to develop their skills and expertise in fixed-point theory and fractional calculus. New research directions are also indicated in chapters. This book is meant for graduate students and researchers willing to expand their knowledge in these areas. The minimum prerequisite for readers is the graduate-level knowledge of analysis, topology and functional analysis.

Recent Trends in Fractional Calculus and Its Applications addresses the answer to this very basic question: "Why is Fractional Calculus important?" Until recent times, Fractional Calculus was considered as a rather esoteric mathematical theory without applications, but in the last few decades there has been an explosion of research activities on the application of Fractional Calculus to very diverse scientific fields ranging from the physics of diffusion and advection phenomena, to control systems to finance and economics. An important part of mathematical modelling of objects and processes is a description of their dynamics. The term Fractional Calculus is more than 300 years old. It is a generalization of the ordinary differentiation and integration to noninteger (arbitrary) order. The subject is as old as the calculus of differentiation and goes back to times when Leibniz, Gauss, and Newton invented this kind of calculation. Several mathematicians contributed to this subject over the years. People like Liouville, Riemann, and Weyl made major contributions to the theory of Fractional Calculus. In recent decades the field of Fractional Calculus has attracted the interest of researchers in several areas, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, finance, and social sciences. Provides the most recent and up-to-date developments in the Fractional Calculus and its application areas Presents pre-preparation ideas to help researchers/scientists/clinicians face the new challenges in the application of fractional differential equations Helps researchers and scientists understand the importance of the Fractional Calculus to solve many problems in Biomedical Engineering and applied sciences