Preface
Structure beyond a finite window
The theory of special functions begins with explicit definitions, but the information those definitions carry need not be visible in a small sample of values. A contraction in a differential equation can determine the growth of an entire function. A prime omitted from an arithmetic sum can change its exact parameter signature. A finite collection of positive moment matrices can conceal a negative mass in the underlying measure.
This volume studies these distinctions through five families. Scalar nonlinear feedback leads to entire functions with explicit growth laws. Arithmetic depth leads to positive kernels and an exact inverse problem. Prime sieves give a setting in which positivity and finite detection can be separated. Zero orbits provide spectral coordinates. Coupled contraction functions bring local coefficients, global growth and finite observation into one system.
The first seven chapters develop the constructions, their principal arguments and worked examples. Ten appendices supply the longer proofs and computational details. The evidence register, glossary and references follow at the back. Figures accompany the mathematics they explain, rather than forming a separate gallery.
Each result is read with its own hypotheses. Classical inputs are identified where they enter. Exact rational certificates, numerical illustrations and analytic proofs remain distinct, and unresolved questions retain their stated scope. A change of representation does not, by itself, establish historical priority.
The recurring question is precise: what can be recovered from finite information, and what additional resolution is needed to distinguish the underlying structure?