Thought of 2 Difficult Math Problems

[learningphysics]

Did I wander into bizzaro world, or are you guys particularly harsh on the OP?

I agree. As JonF posted, it seems pretty clear he was asking for an elementary solution of y in terms of x...

Does the question want y as a "relation of" x... or does it have to be a function of x? As arildno posted, x = 0 satisfies the equation with any y... So y isn't a function of x and can't be written as such, since a function would need one y value per x value (but you have (x = 0, y = 0) which is a solution or (x=0, y=1) as a solution etc)

 

[matt grime]

Ah, it's the 'you are mean, you're supposed to be psychic and guess what the OP meant' moment.

 

[arildno]

Thank you very much!

Your skill at communication is truly unmatched.
Your eloquent "y=blah" says it all..

 

[arildno]

I agree. As JonF posted, it seems pretty clear he was asking for an elementary solution of y in terms of x...

Does the question want y as a "relation of" x... or does it have to be a function of x? As arildno posted, x = 0 satisfies the equation with any y... So y isn't a function of x and can't be written as such, since a function would need one y value per x value (but you have (x = 0, y = 0) which is a solution or (x=0, y=1) as a solution etc)

Hmm, you can find local regions where y can be regarded as a function foo(x), as I have shown.

However, not even an explicit linear approximation to foo(x) in the vicinity of (1,2) is enough for the blah-blah guys of the world..

 

[Izzhov]

Your skill at communication is truly unmatched.
Your eloquent "y=blah" says it all..

I actually thought it was fairly self-explanatory. I guess I didn't realize that you thought through every problem at the calculus level. I was looking for a more algebraic approach to it, but I'm fine, since I now have the solution.

 

[matt grime]

Is there some heirarchy that says 'the calculus level' is lower than the 'algebraic level'? You had the solution before, but you just weren't happy with it. The solution was perfectly correct.

 

[Izzhov]

Is there some heirarchy that says 'the calculus level' is lower than the 'algebraic level'? You had the solution before, but you just weren't happy with it. The solution was perfectly correct.

Actually, the whole problem in our communication is that "calculus level" is higher than algebraic level; it's a classic case of the answerer thinking more deeply about the question than the asker was expecting, and answering it at a higher level (i.e. using calculus) than the asker wanted (i.e. using algebra).

 

[arildno]

Actually, the whole problem in our communication is that "calculus level" is higher than algebraic level; it's a classic case of the answerer thinking more deeply about the question than the asker was expecting, and answering it at a higher level (i.e. using calculus) than the asker wanted (i.e. using algebra).

Whichever way you want it, dear, you won't find any other best linear approximation to foo(x) about (1,2) than the one I posted..

 

[Izzhov]

Whichever way you want it, dear, you won't find any other best linear approximation to foo(x) about (1,2) than the one I posted..

'K, thanks.