Analysis on the Sierpinski Gasket
Brian Bockelman
Department of Mathematics
State University of West Georgia
A generalized theory of harmonic analysis on fractals is constructed for a class of self-similar fractals. This theory is then applied to the Sierpinski Gasket. A graph approximating the Sierpinski gasket is defined by an iterated function system. The closure of this sequence of graphs is the Sierpinski Gasket. Notions analogous to energy, harmonic functions, and the Laplacian are described as the limit of discrete forms on the graphs. From these, three formulations of the second derivative are examined. Comparisons are made to the unit interval. The eigenvalues of the harmonic functions can be similarly computed from the limit of graphs, and the spectrum is examined. Time permitting, current directions of research will be discussed.