Author Topic: Favorite math theory/rules/law/et cetera.  (Read 17090 times)

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Offline Yeong

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Favorite math theory/rules/law/et cetera.
« on: March 02, 2011, 05:06:16 pm »
Well, mah favorite math law is L'Hospital's Law.

Offline squidgetx

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Re: Favorite math theory/rules/law/et cetera.
« Reply #1 on: March 02, 2011, 06:35:37 pm »
Taylor Series. Just the fact that we can take practically any function and write it as a polynomial is mind-blowing. Not to mention you can use them to prove e^(ix)+1=0, which ties for second for me along with 1+2+3+4...=-1/12

Offline Xeda112358

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Re: Favorite math theory/rules/law/et cetera.
« Reply #2 on: March 02, 2011, 06:39:08 pm »
Both of those are among my favorites, but since I study sequences (both infinite and finite) in my spare time, I think I gotta love things like the Riemann Zeta function... it's also yet another reason to love those Taylor Series ♥

Offline Builderboy

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Re: Favorite math theory/rules/law/et cetera.
« Reply #3 on: March 02, 2011, 06:41:57 pm »
1+2+3+4...=-1/12

Remind me again how this can be even remotely possible?  There seems to be no way to get that to work O.O

Offline Xeda112358

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Re: Favorite math theory/rules/law/et cetera.
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2011, 06:44:07 pm »
Is it 1+2+3+4+... or is it 1-2+3-4+5-6...? I know one of them was proven to be -1/12 and the other to be -1/4

Offline Builderboy

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Re: Favorite math theory/rules/law/et cetera.
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2011, 06:45:08 pm »
My question is, how can 1+2+3+4... ever end up being less than 1??  You are starting with 1 and only adding positive numbers, how can you get negative?  It seems mathematically impossible O.o

Offline Deep Toaster

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Re: Favorite math theory/rules/law/et cetera.
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2011, 06:46:02 pm »
Euler's formula forever. It's actually true.




Offline Builderboy

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Re: Favorite math theory/rules/law/et cetera.
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2011, 06:47:41 pm »
it seems that Eulers formula only deals with trig and complex numbers ??? Can i see some sort of mathematical proof or explanation?

Offline phenomist

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Re: Favorite math theory/rules/law/et cetera.
« Reply #8 on: March 02, 2011, 06:48:20 pm »
I think you use Ramanujan sums? Yeah, these funky summation systems (Abel, Cesaro, Euler, etc) give you results like 1+1+1+1+... = -1/2, 1-1+1-1+1-... = 1/2, and 1-2+3-4+5-6+... = 1/4.

Let's add a geometry theorem: Given a hexagon that has an incircle, its opposite diagonals meet at a single point. (Brianchon)
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Offline Deep Toaster

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Re: Favorite math theory/rules/law/et cetera.
« Reply #9 on: March 02, 2011, 06:48:44 pm »
It's here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler's_formula#Proofs It makes no sense, but apparently it makes sense O.o




Offline Builderboy

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Re: Favorite math theory/rules/law/et cetera.
« Reply #10 on: March 02, 2011, 06:52:58 pm »
Okay, after doing some reading, it was not fully explained in the original post that it is not a traditional sum, but in fact a Ramanujan Sum, which is *not* the same :P

Offline Xeda112358

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Re: Favorite math theory/rules/law/et cetera.
« Reply #11 on: March 02, 2011, 06:53:17 pm »
That is because even math is theoretical :D
But think of this... when working with mod systems, negatives are really positive. So, say you are working in mod 8... you would count {0,1,2,3,...,6,7,0,1...}...

Now also consider the numbers that are not infinity, but by performing a mathematical operation, you still get that number (so n+a=n, n*a=n, et cetera).

Now say you work in mod r... -1 really equals r-1. Taking all of this into account, working with mod (r) where r is equal to one of the before mentioned "infinite" numbers, the very largest number is in fact -1. No matter how high you count, it has been proven you will never reach these numbers, but in a mod system, -1 means you are just 1 away from that number!

Anywho, that has nothing to do with the proof that 1+2+3+4... is less than 1, but it is still interesting, yes?

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Re: Favorite math theory/rules/law/et cetera.
« Reply #12 on: March 02, 2011, 06:55:50 pm »
1+2+3+4... does not equal -1/12.  It eauls -1/12R where R is the symbol denoting a Ramunujan Sum :P

Offline AngelFish

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Re: Favorite math theory/rules/law/et cetera.
« Reply #13 on: March 02, 2011, 07:30:35 pm »
-∞(√(x²+y²+z²)e-(x²+y²+z²)))dxdydz =2ㅠ

The reason why is very fun to figure out, but should be rather obvious to some people ;)
∂²Ψ    -(2m(V(x)-E)Ψ
---  = -------------
∂x²        ℏ²Ψ

Offline Yeong

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Re: Favorite math theory/rules/law/et cetera.
« Reply #14 on: March 02, 2011, 07:32:15 pm »
(d/dx)ln x = 1/x

I know this is basic stuff, but without this, there's no complex d/dx ing! XD
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