Editing 2605: Taylor Series
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
+ | {{incomplete|Created by THE MACLAURIN SERIES EVALUATED AT NON-ZERO X - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | ||
− | In mathematics, | + | In mathematics, the {{w|Taylor series}} of a function is an infinite sum of terms that are expressed as the function's derivatives. Their expressions, usually referred to as "expansions," continue indefinitely without end. Taylor series are useful for approximating {{w|Irrational number|irrational}} values, {{w|Machin-like formula|such as π}}, to make them easier to integrate or otherwise manipulate with calculus.[https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/taylor-series.html] However, because they involve difficult calculus operations, and can be annoyingly tedious to {{w|Numerical analysis|calculate by hand}}, they are often not loved by math students. |
− | + | Miss Lenhart appears to be teaching a class about how to use a Taylor series. She has explained what one is, and how it is used. She presumes her students want to keep learning about the series, in that they "wish it would never end." She then says "Good news!" because the Taylor series does not end, with each term smaller than the last. The cartoon's humor is based on contrasting the idea of wishing the series would never end, which is ordinarily said about long-running sequences of enjoyable events, with the infinite nature of the Taylor series, which is almost certainly not appreciated by her students struggling to understand why the sequence of sums converges to the resulting value. | |
− | The title text is a reference to the common practice among physicists and engineers of abbreviating the Taylor series to only the first few terms, typically one or two, in order to simplify the mathematics of their models. The title text is also a pun on the use of the word "series" to refer to a television program. It | + | The title text is a reference to the common practice among physicists and engineers of abbreviating the Taylor series to only the first few terms, typically one or two, in order to simplify the mathematics of their models. The title text is also a pun on the use of the word "series" to refer to a television program. It equates each term in the mathematical series to a television season, suggesting that only the first term is useful. It makes fun on the common sentiment on bad series by saying that "The series should have been cancelled after the first season", replacing "season" with "term". It could also reference the "term" of US President {{w|Zachary Taylor}}, who died after serving only fifteen months in office, or the political career of {{w|Charles_Taylor_(Liberian_politician)|Charles Taylor}}, whose first term ended in civil war and exile. |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
+ | {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | ||
− | :[Miss Lenhart pointing a stick at a whiteboard | + | :[Miss Lenhart pointing a stick at a whiteboard] |
:Miss Lenhart: At this point, you're probably thinking, "I love this equation and wish it would never end!" | :Miss Lenhart: At this point, you're probably thinking, "I love this equation and wish it would never end!" | ||
:Miss Lenhart: Well, good news! | :Miss Lenhart: Well, good news! |