The n-dimensional Stern–Brocot tree

This paper generalizes the Stern–Brocot tree to a tree that consists of all sequences of [Formula: see text] coprime positive integers. As for [Formula: see text] each sequence [Formula: see text] is the sum of a specific set of other coprime sequences, its Stern–Brocot set [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the degree of [Formula: see text] With an orthonormal base as the root, the tree defines a fast iterative structure on the set of distinct directions in [Formula: see text] and a multiresolution partition of [Formula: see text]. Basic proofs rely on a matrix representation of each coprime sequence, where the Stern–Brocot set forms the matrix columns. This induces a finitely generated submonoid [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text], and a unimodular multidimensional continued fraction algorithm, also generalizing [Formula: see text]. It turns out that the [Formula: see text]-dimensional subtree starting with a sequence [Formula: see text] is isomorphic to the entire [Formula: see text]-dimensional tree. This allows basic combinatorial properties to be established. It turns out that also in this multidimensional version, Fibonacci-type sequences have maximal sequence sum in each generation.

On the differentiation of tensor functions

A new method for generating tensorial derivatives of tensor functions is proposed. The method is based on the use of tensors as absolute entities along with the advantages offered by their decomposition on an orthonormal base.