Least Favorite Mathmatecal Formula

[Cuddly Knife]

I'm not a fan of complex algorithms.

edit-ninja'd by glef

 

[Maze1125]

Any formula designed to 'find the missing side' (or angle) in a shape. [i/]Why not just measure it?!![/i]

Because sometimes you need to know the angle something will launch at, and the force it will launch with, before you launch it. The only way you could measure it is by launching it. But if you instead know the forces of the objects propelling it, you can use them and trigonometry to deduce the force and angle before-hand.

Well, it's not a formula per se, but the entire concept of 1/3. 1/3 basically negates all logic that mathematics are based upon for the simple fact that one-third equals .33 repeating endlessly. If you put three one-thirds together, all you get is .99 repeating endlessly. That is why I hate mathematics. I refuse to acknowledge it as logic or intelligence becasue of this. You can't split something into three parts, then put it back together to have it be less than it was endlessly repeating forever. You see what I mean? It doesn't fucking make any sense! That and logarithms.

0.999... = 1 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.85789]

 

[Fbuh]

Any formula designed to 'find the missing side' (or angle) in a shape. [i/]Why not just measure it?!![/i]

Because sometimes you need to know the angle something will launch at, and the force it will launch with, before you launch it. The only way you could measure it is by launching it. But if you instead know the forces of the objects propelling it, you can use them and trigonometry to deduce the force and angle before-hand.

Well, it's not a formula per se, but the entire concept of 1/3. 1/3 basically negates all logic that mathematics are based upon for the simple fact that one-third equals .33 repeating endlessly. If you put three one-thirds together, all you get is .99 repeating endlessly. That is why I hate mathematics. I refuse to acknowledge it as logic or intelligence becasue of this. You can't split something into three parts, then put it back together to have it be less than it was endlessly repeating forever. You see what I mean? It doesn't fucking make any sense! That and logarithms.

0.999... = 1 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.85789]

You just proved me right.

 

[Maze1125]

You just proved me right.

No, I didn't. I just proved you don't understand how decimal expansions work.
0.999.. is 1. It may be an odd way of writing it, but nevertheless, when you write 0.999..., you are writing down a number that means the same thing as writing down 1. Decimals are just representations of numbers, 0.333... represents 1/3 and 0.999... represents 1.

1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 = 1
0.333... + 0.333... + 0.333... = 0.999... = 1

Perfectly correct and consistent. There is no contradiction but the one you imagine.

 

[Fbuh]

You just proved me right.

No, I didn't. I just proved you don't understand how decimal expansions work.
0.999.. is 1. It may be an odd way of writing it, but nevertheless, when you write 0.999..., you are writing down a number that means the same thing as writing down 1. Decimals are just representations of numbers, 0.333... represents 1/3 and 0.999... represents 1.

1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 = 1
0.333... + 0.333... + 0.333... = 0.999... = 1

Perfectly correct and consistent. There is no contradiction but the one you imagine.

No, I meant you proved me right in saying ti doesn't make sense. I'm not trying to argue, I'm just saying that my own mathematical expertise would lose out to a ten year old. I actually had to relearn multiplication/division before I could go onto college math.

 

[DogofRaw]

I like maths. Formulas show that there is a semblence of reality underneath the cesspool that is existance (it also helps that I am good at maths)

 

[esperandote]

i used to liked math, now i forgot most about it so i dont any more.

 

[HT_Black]

The Mandlebrot Set. Don't get me wrong: It's Effing brilliant, but whenever I think about it, I can't decide whether or not I acutally understand it, per se--PERPLEXION!

 

[Mozared]

Logarithm functions. I have never understood them and probably never will. I know 'log' has the same function as 'plus', 'minus' or 'square root' but I don't have a clue what exactly it's supposed to do.

Edit: I guess it's not technically a formula, but oh well.

 

[kurokotetsu]

I was going to quote to all the people that say things that I highly disagree with, but there seem to eb too many.

It is good to know that even though they love videogames, they hate what made them possible and should "stop teaching" maths afeter a certain point. Mathematical logic and things like that were the bases that Turing and Von Nuemann used to establish the first computers, which *gasp* we use to talk in the interner and play videogames.

I love maths. When you understand where the formulas come form they are so elegant. The Bessel functions are fundamental to matehmatical physics. They are beautiful, as are the proves to them.

 

[jboking]

Bessel functions.

where alpha is any arbitary real or complex number.

Useful in solving problems in cylindrical co-ordinate system. But I absolutely detest integral calculus beyond the extreme basics taught at college A-level maths (at least in Finland)

Congratulations sir, you have won the thread.

I don't personally have a most hated formula, but I do have a favorite. The Pythagorean theorem.

"You should have used the pythagorean theorem, *****!"

Cookies for those who know the reference

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I loath math on the whole ... this is my MOST favorite equation though because there is truth behind it

You cannot deny the truth xD

 

[ParkourMcGhee]

The summation from i to r of x... yeah Stats ain't my strong point

 

[tsb247]

My mathematical grievances fall onto the following concepts:

- Trig identities ---> WHY DOES EVERYONE WANT ME TO MEMORIZE THEM ALL?!

- Limits ---> The idea looks complex, but the end result is stupidly simple.

http://www.math.hmc.edu/calculus/tutorials/prodrule/proof.pdf

- Memorizing the quadratic formula to the tune of, "Pop goes the weasel."

- Differential equations ---> I got a B in the class, but somehow finished it and only understood about 10% of what I actually did. I can claim it is not really all that hard, but it really is not all that easy either. Hooray for LaPlace!!!

EDIT: On a more specific note, I just remembered my arch-nemesis from calculus 2!

Arc length formula... I HATE IT! (see first mathematical grievance)

 

[CloudKiller]

E=MC2

The reason, well it started out alright it was something new and could tell you the about of energy within a thing or something like that and it was discovered by Einstein and he was a good guy and he could always see the talent in a young mathematical equation. But in recent years all the fame has gone to it's head and now it thinks that it's better than every other mathematical formula out there, yeah it still does it's job but now it's become a bit too sure of itself, it's all like,

"yeah that's the amount of energy contained within that thing, next!"

It really needs to be reminded of it's roots as a once revolutionary blue collar formula, and it's been riding that same one trick pony for decades we've all seen the "Amount of energy contained within" trick it needs some fresh material or something less mainstream from an independant young scientist who could revitilise the old magic by incorporating it into a new theory, sure the pay wouldn't be as good but you can't put a monertary sum on scientific value, at least that's what I think.

 

[Adinoman]

I truly hate Taylor Series Expansion equations. They look so simple but god the numbers just never end.

Also, about half the equations in any Nuclear Engineering book. The algebra needed to solve those is just plain aggravating

 

[Crossborder]

Everything! EVERY SINGLE FREAKING FORMULA I FAIL TO COMPREHEND!

 

[Steve Dark]

Eigen Values and Eigen Functions. 3 years at university and I learnt several times what to do with them and how to get them, but not ONCE did anyone actually know WHAT THE HELL THEY ARE.