12 Jul 05
Originally posted by THUDandBLUNDERDifferentiation, integration and exponentials etc are what put me off mathematics forever. Until then I had a reasonably good concept and feel for the subject. But at this point I stopped being able to build a mental picture of what it was about. I must be a thick c888 or something.
If you differentiate e^x wiith respect to x it remains unaffected.
That is, letting y = e^x, dy/dx = e^x
But d(e^x)/dy = dy/dy = 1
e^x has been changed into a constant.
Anyways, I shall tell it to my brother. He has a PhD in Mathematics. That will be the true acid test as to whether it is funny or not. 😛
12 Jul 05
Originally posted by jimslyp69Don't worry. One only really needs algebra anyway. And that can be largely intuitive, if that's the right word.
Differentiation, integration and exponentials etc are what put me off mathematics forever. Until then I had a reasonably good concept and feel for the subject. But at this point I stopped being able to build a mental picture of what it was about. I must be a thick c888 or something.
Anyways, I shall tell it to my brother. He has a PhD in Mathematics. That will be the true acid test as to whether it is funny or not. 😛
13 Jul 05
1 edit
Originally posted by BowmannCheers for the words of encouragement but I suppose that all depends on what you want to do with it. Just lucky I don't want to be a programmer really. 😲
Don't worry. One only really needs algebra anyway. And that can be largely intuitive, if that's the right word.
13 Jul 05
Originally posted by BowmannI got an A in GCSE maths but I wouldn't say i was anywhere near O level standard. My Brother had an O level maths exercise book from 1969, that he acqured from my Grand Ma. He had serious difficulties solving the problems in it whilst he was at A level standard in 1990.
I managed to write programs using O-level maths.
13 Jul 05
Originally posted by THUDandBLUNDERd/dy could not split e^x.
But his original post didn't even contain a question mark.
So he must be kindly telling us that a person called Ever heard of the Fibonacci sequence, right? 😵
Therefore, in order to give this thread a raison d'etre, here is a joke:
e^x is walking down the road one day when he meets several other functions coming the other way. One of them ...[text shortened]... Hi, I'm e^x"
"Hello," replied the differential, grinning broadly, "I'm d/dy"
e^x is a real tough guy.
To d/dy's dismay, all it can do is put e^x under the table---to try to humiliate e^x.
e^x just keeps laughing down there.
y = e^x
d/dx y = d/dx e^x
dy/dx = e^x ------nothing doing.
d/dy y = d/dy e^x
dy/dy = e^x dx/dy
1 = e^x dx/dy
dx/dy = 1 / e^x -----underneath, but still intact.
13 Jul 05
Originally posted by phgaoAmusing, but it lacks a punchline.
d/dy could not split e^x.
e^x is a real tough guy.
To d/dy's dismay, all it can do is put e^x under the table---to try to humiliate e^x.
e^x just keeps laughing down there.
y = e^x
d/dx y = d/dx e^x
dy/dx = e^x ------nothing doing.
d/dy y = d/dy e^x
dy/dy = e^x dx/dy
1 = e^x dx/dy
dx/dy = 1 / e^x -----underneath, but still intact.
15 Jul 05
Originally posted by phgaoy = e^x
d/dy could not split e^x.
e^x is a real tough guy.
To d/dy's dismay, all it can do is put e^x under the table---to try to humiliate e^x.
e^x just keeps laughing down there.
y = e^x
d/dx y = d/dx e^x
dy/dx = e^x ------nothing doing.
d/dy y = d/dy e^x
dy/dy = e^x dx/dy
1 = e^x dx/dy
dx/dy = 1 / e^x -----underneath, but still intact.
dy/dx = e^x
dx/dy = e^-x
Fair enough.
But we re not differentiating x wrt y
We are differentiating e^x wrt y
Having done so, we get a constant (1)
21 Jul 05
I heard a really funny (to a maths geek) story about little Polly Nomial once, and how she lost her convergency. It's probably rolling around the internet somewhere if I can be bothered...
...ah yes, here's a version. It was funnier when read aloud with lots of meaningful pauses.
http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~susan/joke/polly.htm
21 Jul 05
Originally posted by orfeoThat's a fcuked up story. It's about a function being raped and getting pregnant, no? And the cautionary at the end is to keep your kids locked up forever. It was probably funnier in the 50's, although I will say the language was cleverly used.
I heard a really funny (to a maths geek) story about little Polly Nomial once, and how she lost her convergency. It's probably rolling around the internet somewhere if I can be bothered...
...ah yes, here's a version. It was funnier when read aloud with lots of meaningful pauses.
http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~susan/joke/polly.htm