Modelling and simulation of projectile flight is at the core of ballistic computer software and is essential to the study of performance of rifles and projectiles in various engagement conditions.An effective and repr...Modelling and simulation of projectile flight is at the core of ballistic computer software and is essential to the study of performance of rifles and projectiles in various engagement conditions.An effective and representative numerical model of projectile flight requires a relatively good approximation of the aerodynamics.The aerodynamic coefficients of the projectile model should be described as a series of piecewise polynomial functions of the Mach number that ideally meet the following conditions:they are continuous,differentiable at least once,and have a relatively low degree.The paper provides the steps needed to generate such piecewise polynomial functions using readily available tools,and then compares Piecewise Cubic Hermite Interpolating Polynomial(PCHIP),cubic splines,and piecewise linear functions,and their variant,as potential curve fitting methods to approximate the aerodynamics of a generic small arms projectile.A key contribution of the paper is the application of PCHIP to the approximation of projectile aerodynamics,and its evaluation against a set of criteria.Finally,the paper provides a baseline assessment of the impact of the polynomial functions on flight trajectory predictions obtained with 6-degree-of-freedom simulations of a generic projectile.展开更多
This article derives the relation between universal interpolating sequences and some spectral properties of the multiplication operator by the independent variable z in case the underlying space is a Hilbert space of ...This article derives the relation between universal interpolating sequences and some spectral properties of the multiplication operator by the independent variable z in case the underlying space is a Hilbert space of functions analytic on the open unit disk.展开更多
This paper establishes the following pointwise result for simultancous Lagrange imterpolating approxima- tion:,then |f^(k)(x)-P_n^(k)(f,x)|=O(1)△_n^(q-k)(x)ω where P_n(f,x)is the Lagrange interpolating potynomial of...This paper establishes the following pointwise result for simultancous Lagrange imterpolating approxima- tion:,then |f^(k)(x)-P_n^(k)(f,x)|=O(1)△_n^(q-k)(x)ω where P_n(f,x)is the Lagrange interpolating potynomial of deereeon the nodes X_nUY_n(see the definition of the next).展开更多
In this paper, we present an algorithm for reconstruction of B-spline surface such that it interpolates the four given bound- ary curves and simultaneously approximates some given inner points. The main idea of our me...In this paper, we present an algorithm for reconstruction of B-spline surface such that it interpolates the four given bound- ary curves and simultaneously approximates some given inner points. The main idea of our method is: first, we construct an initial surface which interpolates the four given boundary curves; then, while keeping the boundary control points of the initial surface un- changed, we reposition the inner control points of the surface with energy optimization method. Examples show that our algorithm is practicable and effective.展开更多
With the continuous advancement in topology optimization and additive manufacturing(AM)technology,the capability to fabricate functionally graded materials and intricate cellular structures with spatially varying micr...With the continuous advancement in topology optimization and additive manufacturing(AM)technology,the capability to fabricate functionally graded materials and intricate cellular structures with spatially varying microstructures has grown significantly.However,a critical challenge is encountered in the design of these structures–the absence of robust interface connections between adjacent microstructures,potentially resulting in diminished efficiency or macroscopic failure.A Hybrid Level Set Method(HLSM)is proposed,specifically designed to enhance connectivity among non-uniform microstructures,contributing to the design of functionally graded cellular structures.The HLSM introduces a pioneering algorithm for effectively blending heterogeneous microstructure interfaces.Initially,an interpolation algorithm is presented to construct transition microstructures seamlessly connected on both sides.Subsequently,the algorithm enables the morphing of non-uniform unit cells to seamlessly adapt to interconnected adjacent microstructures.The method,seamlessly integrated into a multi-scale topology optimization framework using the level set method,exhibits its efficacy through numerical examples,showcasing its prowess in optimizing 2D and 3D functionally graded materials(FGM)and multi-scale topology optimization.In essence,the pressing issue of interface connections in complex structure design is not only addressed but also a robust methodology is introduced,substantiated by numerical evidence,advancing optimization capabilities in the realm of functionally graded materials and cellular structures.展开更多
In this paper,we present an approach for smooth surface reconstructions interpolating triangular meshes with ar- bitrary topology and geometry.The approach is based on the well-known radial basis functions (RBFs) and ...In this paper,we present an approach for smooth surface reconstructions interpolating triangular meshes with ar- bitrary topology and geometry.The approach is based on the well-known radial basis functions (RBFs) and the constructed surfaces are generalized thin-plate spline surfaces.Our algorithm first defines a pair of offset points for each vertex of a given mesh to en- hance the controUability of local geometry and to assure stability of the construction.A linear system is then solved by LU decomposi- tion and the implicit governing equation of interpolating surface is obtained.The constructed surfaces finally are visualized by a Marching Cubes based polygonizer.The approach provides a robust and efficient solution for smooth surface reconstruction from various 3 D meshes.展开更多
This paper investigated the convergence of the columns (with fixed denominator degrees) of the multivariate rational interpolations to a meromorphic function. A simple convergence criterion and the rate of convergence...This paper investigated the convergence of the columns (with fixed denominator degrees) of the multivariate rational interpolations to a meromorphic function. A simple convergence criterion and the rate of convergence were given. The criterion is a nature extension of the theorem of Saff for the convergence of columns of univariate rational interpolations.展开更多
The radial basis function (RBF) interpolation approach proposed by Freedman is used to solve inverse problems encountered in well-logging and other petrophysical issues. The approach is to predict petrophysical prop...The radial basis function (RBF) interpolation approach proposed by Freedman is used to solve inverse problems encountered in well-logging and other petrophysical issues. The approach is to predict petrophysical properties in the laboratory on the basis of physical rock datasets, which include the formation factor, viscosity, permeability, and molecular composition. However, this approach does not consider the effect of spatial distribution of the calibration data on the interpolation result. This study proposes a new RBF interpolation approach based on the Freedman's RBF interpolation approach, by which the unit basis functions are uniformly populated in the space domain. The inverse results of the two approaches are comparatively analyzed by using our datasets. We determine that although the interpolation effects of the two approaches are equivalent, the new approach is more flexible and beneficial for reducing the number of basis functions when the database is large, resulting in simplification of the interpolation function expression. However, the predicted results of the central data are not sufficiently satisfied when the data clusters are far apart.展开更多
In this paper, a new iterated function system consisting of non-linear affinemaps is constructed. We investigate the fractal interpolation functions generated bysuch a system and get its differentiability, its box dim...In this paper, a new iterated function system consisting of non-linear affinemaps is constructed. We investigate the fractal interpolation functions generated bysuch a system and get its differentiability, its box dimension, its packing dimension,and a lower bound of its Hansdorff dimension.展开更多
Hermite interpolation is a very important tool in approximation theory and nu- merical analysis, and provides a popular method for modeling in the area of computer aided geometric design. However, the classical Hermit...Hermite interpolation is a very important tool in approximation theory and nu- merical analysis, and provides a popular method for modeling in the area of computer aided geometric design. However, the classical Hermite interpolant is unique for a prescribed data set, and hence lacks freedom for the choice of an interpolating curve, which is a crucial requirement in design environment. Even though there is a rather well developed fractal theory for Hermite interpolation that offers a large flexibility in the choice of interpolants, it also has the short- coming that the functions that can be well approximated are highly restricted to the class of self-affine functions. The primary objective of this paper is to suggest a gl-cubic Hermite in- terpolation scheme using a fractal methodology, namely, the coalescence hidden variable fractal interpolation, which works equally well for the approximation of a self-affine and non-self-affine data generating functions. The uniform error bound for the proposed fractal interpolant is established to demonstrate that the convergence properties are similar to that of the classical Hermite interpolant. For the Hermite interpolation problem, if the derivative values are not actually prescribed at the knots, then we assign these values so that the interpolant gains global G2-continuity. Consequently, the procedure culminates with the construction of cubic spline coalescence hidden variable fractal interpolants. Thus, the present article also provides an al- ternative to the construction of cubic spline coalescence hidden variable fractal interpolation functions through moments proposed by Chand and Kapoor [Fractals, 15(1) (2007), pp. 41-53].展开更多
By utilizing symmetric functions,this paper presents explicit representations for Hermite interpolation and its numerical differentiation formula.And the corresponding error estimates are also provided.
The authors introduce nonseparable scaling function interpolation and show that its approximation can provide similar convergence properties as scalar wavelet system. Several equivalent statements of accuracy of nonse...The authors introduce nonseparable scaling function interpolation and show that its approximation can provide similar convergence properties as scalar wavelet system. Several equivalent statements of accuracy of nonseparable scaling function are also given. In the numerical experiments, it appears that nonseparable scaling function interpolation has better convergence results than scalar wavelet systems in some cases.展开更多
For Hermite-Birkhoff interpolation of scattered multidumensional data by radial basis function (?),existence and characterization theorems and a variational principle are proved. Examples include (?)(r)=r^b,Duchon'...For Hermite-Birkhoff interpolation of scattered multidumensional data by radial basis function (?),existence and characterization theorems and a variational principle are proved. Examples include (?)(r)=r^b,Duchon's thin-plate splines,Hardy's multiquadrics,and inverse multiquadrics.展开更多
The purpose of this paper is to prove a Holder property about the fractal interpolation function L(x), ω(L,δ)=O(δ~α), and an approximate estimate |f-L|≤2{α(h)+||f||/1-h^(2-D)·h^(2-D)}, where D is a fractal ...The purpose of this paper is to prove a Holder property about the fractal interpolation function L(x), ω(L,δ)=O(δ~α), and an approximate estimate |f-L|≤2{α(h)+||f||/1-h^(2-D)·h^(2-D)}, where D is a fractal dimension of L(x).展开更多
Global look-up table strategy proposed recently has been proven to be an efficient method to accelerate the interpolation, which is the most time-consuming part in the iterative sub-pixel digital image correlation (...Global look-up table strategy proposed recently has been proven to be an efficient method to accelerate the interpolation, which is the most time-consuming part in the iterative sub-pixel digital image correlation (DIC) algorithms. In this paper, a global look-up table strategy with cubic B-spline interpolation is developed for the DIC method based on the inverse compositional Gauss-Newton (IC-GN) algorithm. The performance of this strategy, including accuracy, precision, and computation efficiency, is evaluated through a theoretical and experimental study, using the one with widely employed bicubic interpolation as a benchmark. The global look-up table strategy with cubic B-spline interpolation improves significantly the accuracy of the IC-GN algorithm-based DIC method compared with the one using the bicubic interpolation, at a trivial price of computation efficiency.展开更多
In this paper,general interpolating isogeometric boundary node method(IIBNM)and isogeometric boundary element method(IBEM)based on parameter space are proposed for 2D elasticity problems.In both methods,the integral c...In this paper,general interpolating isogeometric boundary node method(IIBNM)and isogeometric boundary element method(IBEM)based on parameter space are proposed for 2D elasticity problems.In both methods,the integral cells and elements are defined in parameter space,which can reproduce the geometry exactly at all the stages.In IIBNM,the improved interpolating moving leastsquare method(IIMLS)is applied for field approximation and the shape functions have the delta function property.The Lagrangian basis functions are used for field approximation in IBEM.Thus,the boundary conditions can be imposed directly in both methods.The shape functions are defined in 1D parameter space and no curve length needs to be computed.Besides,most methods for the treatment of the singular integrals in the boundary element method can be applied in IIBNM and IBEM directly.Numerical examples have demonstrated the accuracy of the proposed methods.展开更多
This work presents a novel approach combining radial basis function(RBF)interpolation with Galerkin projection to efficiently solve general optimal control problems.The goal is to develop a highly flexible solution to...This work presents a novel approach combining radial basis function(RBF)interpolation with Galerkin projection to efficiently solve general optimal control problems.The goal is to develop a highly flexible solution to optimal control problems,especially nonsmooth problems involving discontinuities,while accounting for trajectory accuracy and computational efficiency simultaneously.The proposed solution,called the RBF-Galerkin method,offers a highly flexible framework for direct transcription by using any interpolant functions from the broad class of global RBFs and any arbitrary discretization points that do not necessarily need to be on a mesh of points.The RBF-Galerkin costate mapping theorem is developed that describes an exact equivalency between the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker(KKT)conditions of the nonlinear programming problem resulted from the RBF-Galerkin method and the discretized form of the first-order necessary conditions of the optimal control problem,if a set of discrete conditions holds.The efficacy of the proposed method along with the accuracy of the RBF-Galerkin costate mapping theorem is confirmed against an analytical solution for a bang-bang optimal control problem.In addition,the proposed approach is compared against both local and global polynomial methods for a robot motion planning problem to verify its accuracy and computational efficiency.展开更多
Parameter identification problem is one of essential problem in order to model effectively experimental data by fractal interpolation function.In this paper,we first present an example to explain a relationship betwee...Parameter identification problem is one of essential problem in order to model effectively experimental data by fractal interpolation function.In this paper,we first present an example to explain a relationship between iteration procedure and fractal function.Then we discuss conditions that vertical scaling factors must obey in one typical case.展开更多
In this paper,we study a special class of fractal interpolation functions,and give their Haar-wavelet expansions.On the basis of the expansions,we investigate the H(o|¨)lder smoothness of such functions and their...In this paper,we study a special class of fractal interpolation functions,and give their Haar-wavelet expansions.On the basis of the expansions,we investigate the H(o|¨)lder smoothness of such functions and their logical derivatives of order α.展开更多
文摘Modelling and simulation of projectile flight is at the core of ballistic computer software and is essential to the study of performance of rifles and projectiles in various engagement conditions.An effective and representative numerical model of projectile flight requires a relatively good approximation of the aerodynamics.The aerodynamic coefficients of the projectile model should be described as a series of piecewise polynomial functions of the Mach number that ideally meet the following conditions:they are continuous,differentiable at least once,and have a relatively low degree.The paper provides the steps needed to generate such piecewise polynomial functions using readily available tools,and then compares Piecewise Cubic Hermite Interpolating Polynomial(PCHIP),cubic splines,and piecewise linear functions,and their variant,as potential curve fitting methods to approximate the aerodynamics of a generic small arms projectile.A key contribution of the paper is the application of PCHIP to the approximation of projectile aerodynamics,and its evaluation against a set of criteria.Finally,the paper provides a baseline assessment of the impact of the polynomial functions on flight trajectory predictions obtained with 6-degree-of-freedom simulations of a generic projectile.
文摘This article derives the relation between universal interpolating sequences and some spectral properties of the multiplication operator by the independent variable z in case the underlying space is a Hilbert space of functions analytic on the open unit disk.
基金The second named author was supported in part by an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship,Canada and a CR F Grant,University of Alberta
文摘This paper establishes the following pointwise result for simultancous Lagrange imterpolating approxima- tion:,then |f^(k)(x)-P_n^(k)(f,x)|=O(1)△_n^(q-k)(x)ω where P_n(f,x)is the Lagrange interpolating potynomial of deereeon the nodes X_nUY_n(see the definition of the next).
基金Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province
文摘In this paper, we present an algorithm for reconstruction of B-spline surface such that it interpolates the four given bound- ary curves and simultaneously approximates some given inner points. The main idea of our method is: first, we construct an initial surface which interpolates the four given boundary curves; then, while keeping the boundary control points of the initial surface un- changed, we reposition the inner control points of the surface with energy optimization method. Examples show that our algorithm is practicable and effective.
基金the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant Number 2021YFB1714600)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Number 52075195)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,China through Program No.2172019kfyXJJS078.
文摘With the continuous advancement in topology optimization and additive manufacturing(AM)technology,the capability to fabricate functionally graded materials and intricate cellular structures with spatially varying microstructures has grown significantly.However,a critical challenge is encountered in the design of these structures–the absence of robust interface connections between adjacent microstructures,potentially resulting in diminished efficiency or macroscopic failure.A Hybrid Level Set Method(HLSM)is proposed,specifically designed to enhance connectivity among non-uniform microstructures,contributing to the design of functionally graded cellular structures.The HLSM introduces a pioneering algorithm for effectively blending heterogeneous microstructure interfaces.Initially,an interpolation algorithm is presented to construct transition microstructures seamlessly connected on both sides.Subsequently,the algorithm enables the morphing of non-uniform unit cells to seamlessly adapt to interconnected adjacent microstructures.The method,seamlessly integrated into a multi-scale topology optimization framework using the level set method,exhibits its efficacy through numerical examples,showcasing its prowess in optimizing 2D and 3D functionally graded materials(FGM)and multi-scale topology optimization.In essence,the pressing issue of interface connections in complex structure design is not only addressed but also a robust methodology is introduced,substantiated by numerical evidence,advancing optimization capabilities in the realm of functionally graded materials and cellular structures.
文摘In this paper,we present an approach for smooth surface reconstructions interpolating triangular meshes with ar- bitrary topology and geometry.The approach is based on the well-known radial basis functions (RBFs) and the constructed surfaces are generalized thin-plate spline surfaces.Our algorithm first defines a pair of offset points for each vertex of a given mesh to en- hance the controUability of local geometry and to assure stability of the construction.A linear system is then solved by LU decomposi- tion and the implicit governing equation of interpolating surface is obtained.The constructed surfaces finally are visualized by a Marching Cubes based polygonizer.The approach provides a robust and efficient solution for smooth surface reconstruction from various 3 D meshes.
文摘This paper investigated the convergence of the columns (with fixed denominator degrees) of the multivariate rational interpolations to a meromorphic function. A simple convergence criterion and the rate of convergence were given. The criterion is a nature extension of the theorem of Saff for the convergence of columns of univariate rational interpolations.
基金supported by the National Science and Technology Major Projects(No.2011ZX05020-008)Well Logging Advanced Technique and Application Basis Research Project of Petrochina Company(No.2011A-3901)
文摘The radial basis function (RBF) interpolation approach proposed by Freedman is used to solve inverse problems encountered in well-logging and other petrophysical issues. The approach is to predict petrophysical properties in the laboratory on the basis of physical rock datasets, which include the formation factor, viscosity, permeability, and molecular composition. However, this approach does not consider the effect of spatial distribution of the calibration data on the interpolation result. This study proposes a new RBF interpolation approach based on the Freedman's RBF interpolation approach, by which the unit basis functions are uniformly populated in the space domain. The inverse results of the two approaches are comparatively analyzed by using our datasets. We determine that although the interpolation effects of the two approaches are equivalent, the new approach is more flexible and beneficial for reducing the number of basis functions when the database is large, resulting in simplification of the interpolation function expression. However, the predicted results of the central data are not sufficiently satisfied when the data clusters are far apart.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Natural Science Foundtion of Zhejiang Province.
文摘In this paper, a new iterated function system consisting of non-linear affinemaps is constructed. We investigate the fractal interpolation functions generated bysuch a system and get its differentiability, its box dimension, its packing dimension,and a lower bound of its Hansdorff dimension.
基金partially supported by the CSIR India(Grant No.09/084(0531)/2010-EMR-I)the SERC,DST India(Project No.SR/S4/MS:694/10)
文摘Hermite interpolation is a very important tool in approximation theory and nu- merical analysis, and provides a popular method for modeling in the area of computer aided geometric design. However, the classical Hermite interpolant is unique for a prescribed data set, and hence lacks freedom for the choice of an interpolating curve, which is a crucial requirement in design environment. Even though there is a rather well developed fractal theory for Hermite interpolation that offers a large flexibility in the choice of interpolants, it also has the short- coming that the functions that can be well approximated are highly restricted to the class of self-affine functions. The primary objective of this paper is to suggest a gl-cubic Hermite in- terpolation scheme using a fractal methodology, namely, the coalescence hidden variable fractal interpolation, which works equally well for the approximation of a self-affine and non-self-affine data generating functions. The uniform error bound for the proposed fractal interpolant is established to demonstrate that the convergence properties are similar to that of the classical Hermite interpolant. For the Hermite interpolation problem, if the derivative values are not actually prescribed at the knots, then we assign these values so that the interpolant gains global G2-continuity. Consequently, the procedure culminates with the construction of cubic spline coalescence hidden variable fractal interpolants. Thus, the present article also provides an al- ternative to the construction of cubic spline coalescence hidden variable fractal interpolation functions through moments proposed by Chand and Kapoor [Fractals, 15(1) (2007), pp. 41-53].
基金Supported by the Education Department of Zhejiang Province (Y200806015)
文摘By utilizing symmetric functions,this paper presents explicit representations for Hermite interpolation and its numerical differentiation formula.And the corresponding error estimates are also provided.
文摘The authors introduce nonseparable scaling function interpolation and show that its approximation can provide similar convergence properties as scalar wavelet system. Several equivalent statements of accuracy of nonseparable scaling function are also given. In the numerical experiments, it appears that nonseparable scaling function interpolation has better convergence results than scalar wavelet systems in some cases.
文摘For Hermite-Birkhoff interpolation of scattered multidumensional data by radial basis function (?),existence and characterization theorems and a variational principle are proved. Examples include (?)(r)=r^b,Duchon's thin-plate splines,Hardy's multiquadrics,and inverse multiquadrics.
文摘The purpose of this paper is to prove a Holder property about the fractal interpolation function L(x), ω(L,δ)=O(δ~α), and an approximate estimate |f-L|≤2{α(h)+||f||/1-h^(2-D)·h^(2-D)}, where D is a fractal dimension of L(x).
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11202081,11272124,and 11472109)the State Key Lab of Subtropical Building Science,South China University of Technology(2014ZC17)
文摘Global look-up table strategy proposed recently has been proven to be an efficient method to accelerate the interpolation, which is the most time-consuming part in the iterative sub-pixel digital image correlation (DIC) algorithms. In this paper, a global look-up table strategy with cubic B-spline interpolation is developed for the DIC method based on the inverse compositional Gauss-Newton (IC-GN) algorithm. The performance of this strategy, including accuracy, precision, and computation efficiency, is evaluated through a theoretical and experimental study, using the one with widely employed bicubic interpolation as a benchmark. The global look-up table strategy with cubic B-spline interpolation improves significantly the accuracy of the IC-GN algorithm-based DIC method compared with the one using the bicubic interpolation, at a trivial price of computation efficiency.
基金The research for this paper was supported by(1)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grants Nos.51708429,51708428)the Open Projects Foundation(Grant No.2017-04-GF)of State Key Laboratory for Health and Safety of Bridge Structures+1 种基金Wuhan Institute of Technology Science Found(Grant No.K201734)the science and technology projects of Wuhan Urban and Rural Construction Bureau(Grants Nos.201831,201919).
文摘In this paper,general interpolating isogeometric boundary node method(IIBNM)and isogeometric boundary element method(IBEM)based on parameter space are proposed for 2D elasticity problems.In both methods,the integral cells and elements are defined in parameter space,which can reproduce the geometry exactly at all the stages.In IIBNM,the improved interpolating moving leastsquare method(IIMLS)is applied for field approximation and the shape functions have the delta function property.The Lagrangian basis functions are used for field approximation in IBEM.Thus,the boundary conditions can be imposed directly in both methods.The shape functions are defined in 1D parameter space and no curve length needs to be computed.Besides,most methods for the treatment of the singular integrals in the boundary element method can be applied in IIBNM and IBEM directly.Numerical examples have demonstrated the accuracy of the proposed methods.
文摘This work presents a novel approach combining radial basis function(RBF)interpolation with Galerkin projection to efficiently solve general optimal control problems.The goal is to develop a highly flexible solution to optimal control problems,especially nonsmooth problems involving discontinuities,while accounting for trajectory accuracy and computational efficiency simultaneously.The proposed solution,called the RBF-Galerkin method,offers a highly flexible framework for direct transcription by using any interpolant functions from the broad class of global RBFs and any arbitrary discretization points that do not necessarily need to be on a mesh of points.The RBF-Galerkin costate mapping theorem is developed that describes an exact equivalency between the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker(KKT)conditions of the nonlinear programming problem resulted from the RBF-Galerkin method and the discretized form of the first-order necessary conditions of the optimal control problem,if a set of discrete conditions holds.The efficacy of the proposed method along with the accuracy of the RBF-Galerkin costate mapping theorem is confirmed against an analytical solution for a bang-bang optimal control problem.In addition,the proposed approach is compared against both local and global polynomial methods for a robot motion planning problem to verify its accuracy and computational efficiency.
文摘Parameter identification problem is one of essential problem in order to model effectively experimental data by fractal interpolation function.In this paper,we first present an example to explain a relationship between iteration procedure and fractal function.Then we discuss conditions that vertical scaling factors must obey in one typical case.
文摘In this paper,we study a special class of fractal interpolation functions,and give their Haar-wavelet expansions.On the basis of the expansions,we investigate the H(o|¨)lder smoothness of such functions and their logical derivatives of order α.