We present the several ways one can define a fractional derivative, in the form of a historical introduction to fractional calculus. Starting with the concept of fractional derivative, which is a generalization of the Cauchy integral, we approach the fractional derivatives in the senses of Riemann-Liouville and Caputo. We discuss recent proposals of new fractional derivatives which, through an adequate limiting process, recover both the Riemann-Liouville and the Caputo formulations. We also discuss other formulations in which the kernel of the integral is nonsingular. On the basis of a recent criterion, we justify why such derivatives can be considered authentic fractional derivatives. We also present some applications of strictly mathematical nature, together with an application to a specific physical problem.
Keywords:
Fractional derivates; Non-integer order calculus; Riemann-Liouville derivative; Caputo derivative; Circuit RL
