Turns out no solution exists.

  • Gustephan@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    So like, in any real system as x approaches infinity the difference between x and x+2 will fall below measurement error and make x = x+2 functionally true (far field small angle approximation and whatnot.) This kind of situation comes up in optics when you’re finding different f points on lenses. I think it’s more a case of “both ways to consider that math are useful in different regimes/circumstances.” If a student in a proof based math class i was teaching came at me with the graphical explanation I’d tell them to try again, but if one of my junior engineers came to my office with concerns about the difference between x and x+2 at x=50000 or something id take it as an opportunity to teach them why it probably doesn’t matter.

    • nandeEbisu@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Oh, in an engineering context, yeah. I think that’s more because you’re looking at the relative difference between the two, or

      ((x-2)-x)/x, which is -2/x, which is 0 as x approaches infinity.