Is There a Derivative for Our Own Lives?

[mathscience]

This was not a troll question. It's only a General Discussion type question.

I'm sure anyone who has studied Calculus has at some point applied some of the principles to their own life, probably to relate to it and understand it better.

That's hardly controversial.

 

[Chi Meson]

Oh there you are! Do forgive me, the question had the earmarks of a "set up" where the poster would come back and say something like "all aspects of life ultimately derive down to one constant, [deity]" Glad to see that's not the case. Though it was a good response thread...

Well then you deserve an honest answer to your question... ahem...

no. I find myself applying calculus principles all the time, but only to figure out quantifiable problems. The core of calculus requires that you know the functions, the proportionalities, of interacting variables. Although our biophysical responses in our brains could be ultimately described as functions, they'd be so complicated and inter-dependent with outside variables they'd be unpredictably chaotic. A simple task such as choosing a toothpaste would be described as the most complicated differential equation
Edward Witten has ever seen.

 

[jhae2.718]

But isn't the thread closed if it remains within its proper bounds?

 

[jim hardy]

""I'm sure anyone who has studied Calculus has at some point applied some of the principles to their own life, probably to relate to it and understand it better. ""

Calculus is logical. Human behavior is illogical.

Life is lived forward but understood backward , so in that regard life is a feedback loop.

Math of feedback loops is its own field and i find feedback theory far more directly applicable to life than is calculus, though feedback is pretty intense in its use of calculus..

I recommend "Psychocybernetics" by Maxwell Maltz. It is a book that suggests applying feedback principles to everyday life.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0671700758/?tag=pfamazon01-20

Also TI's introduction to feedback,
http://www.ti.com/lit/ml/sloa077/sloa077.pdf

If A describes one's behavior
and B describes self examination and adjustment of behavior

feedback theory says the result is A / (1 + A*B) which will be normally smaller than A.

so when life is undergoing wild and crazy swings, i apply some introspection and feedback.


old jim

 

[mathscience]

One math principle that might apply to life is the slope. If your life is going poorly, you have a negative slope. If your life is going well, you have a positive slope.

 

[Pythagorean]

One math principle that might apply to life is the slope. If your life is going poorly, you have a negative slope. If your life is going well, you have a positive slope.

what's the function who's slope is happiness? Environmental conditions?

 

[jim hardy]

what's the function who's slope is happiness?

kindness.
it transcends, for like e^x it's the same as its derivative..


"Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind."
Eric Hoffer

 

[Saladsamurai]

Please, no drinking and deriving.

 

[Deveno]

i toss and turn at night, because of Rolle's theorem.

 

[chiro]

Please, no drinking and deriving.

You better not get a Randomized Breadth Test while you derive...

 

[jim hardy]

Rolle rocks !

 

[Chi Meson]

Please, no drinking and deriving.

You could have a nasty accident. End up in L'Hôpital.

 

[micromass]

If you want to buy some nice clothes, I heard the taylor has some new series.

 

[drizzle]

 

[micromass]

How dare you make a post in this thread without a math pun?? I'm going to have to infract you now.

Yes, I'm your average meanie.

 

[Moonbear]

How dare you make a post in this thread without a math pun?? I'm going to have to infract you now.

Yes, I'm your average meanie.

We'll have to try harder to integrate her into PF society.

 

[drizzle]

 

[lisab]

This thread is showing signs of regression. Makes me want to rise up and run away.

 

[micromass]

This thread is showing signs of regression. Makes me want to rise up and run away.

Sines of regression??

 

[jhae2.718]

We're diverging from the original topic, I'm a-frayed.

 

[collinsmark]

http://abstrusegoose.com/strips/calczilla.PNG
[Source: http://abstrusegoose.com/26]

 

[Pythagorean]

awesome

 

[drizzle]

Haha, funny. Though, I would like to know the rest of the story :p

 

[jim hardy]

Tyrannysaurus fe^x ?

 

[collinsmark]

Haha, funny. Though, I would like to know the rest of the story :p

For what it's worth, $\frac{\partial}{\partial x} (y^x) = y^x \ln(y).$

Poor Mr. $y^x$ would be pooped out a different size if y > 1 (although remain the same size in the special case where y = e), become mauled and eaten if y = 1, become negative and pooped out a different size if 0 < y < 1, or become complex if y < 0 (and who knows what that would be like).

[Edit: Deleted the whole y = 0 possibility. That doesn't even make any sense in the first place.]

 

[drizzle]