PDA

View Full Version : How to calculate the order of an infinitesimal


NBagley119
Aug9-11, 09:41 PM
I know how to find out if an infinitesimal delta is of the first order (if delta*y/delta*x=dy/dx+epsilon is approximately equal to (dy/dx)*delta*x, but how do you find out if an infinitesimal is of second order or higher and how do you find out what that order is?

Note: I will update this question with typesetting once I figure out how to use LaTeX.

Eynstone
Aug10-11, 10:50 PM
The order of an 'infinitesimal' is always relative.

NBagley119
Aug11-11, 09:59 AM
The order of an 'infinitesimal' is always relative.

Relative to what? And how do you find the order?

NBagley119
Aug11-11, 10:02 AM
I know how to find out if an infinitesimal delta is of the first order (if \frac{\delta y}{\delta x}=\frac{dy}{dx}+\epsilon\approx\frac{dy}{dx}\delt ax, but how do you find out if an infinitesimal is of second order or higher and how do you find out what that order is?