I'm so proud of myself. In a calculus test, I was asked to prove that $3x+\cos(x)=0$ has only one real solution, and I was able to generalize the problem and find a value of $m$ such that $mx=-\cos(x)$ has exactly two solutions and $y=mx$ is tangent to $y=-\cos(x)$ at one of these points
@Chris'ssis I know, but I generalized the problem and found a tangent line to $y=-\cos(x)$ that passes through the origin and intersects $-\cos(x)$ at one other point besides the point of tangency
Which implies that any value $a$ of the function $y=ax+\cos(x)$ greater than the slope of the tangent line described above forces said function to have exactly one real root
@Chris'ssis I have a tendency to make things far more complicated than they have to be...
@r9m hehe, it happens once in a while! Not all days are great days. ;)
@r9m hahaha, OK! :D
@teadawg1337 I was asking myself if I'm able to prove that $$\frac{\pi}{4}\le \frac{1}{1^2+1}+\frac{1}{2^2+1}+\frac{1}{3^2+1}+\cdots $$ without computing the sum.
Well, I came up with the idea without using a calculator. As you know, I've been working quite a lot recently with dilogarithms and the like, so expressions similar to $\frac{\pi^2}{9}$ occur quite often.
Long story short, I've become quite familiar with the approximate value of $\pi^2$
Ah, I see. The second line is also less than $\frac{\pi^2}{9}$, and $\frac{1}{n^2}\gt \frac{1}{n^2+1}$. Therefore the inequality holds by the comparison test
okay ... I needed to use $\pi > 3+ \frac{1}{10}$ and no calculators :P (I am beginning to think I have some sort of mild OCD :P)
@Chris'ssis did you see T. Andeerscu's problem in the latest math reflections journal .. ? the one with $\displaystyle \prod\limits_{n \ge 0} \left(1 - \frac{2^{2^n}}{2^{2^{n+1}}+1}\right)$ ? :)
@Chris'ssis I've heard back from my academic advisor. One of the professors interested in working with me is the mathematics department head at MTSU :)
Hi. math.stackexchange.com/questions/1225276/… gets downvotes, but no critical comments, so I don´t know if the question is offtopic, not precise enough, or too trivial, or what. Help?!? Otherwise I´ll delete it (and possibly leave the site for good).
It already helps if you ack that the question is wellformed enough to exist. I can live with downs as long as I have a chance for an answer (or constructive comment).
@r9m I'd like to see from Romanian people problems like the ones proposed by Ramanujan. I'd like to see again and again the need of the use of new ingenious tools.
i have to study them at some point of time. i didn't take the classes on algebraic number theory this winter because i wanted to study homology thoroughly.
How long does it take for one to become productive in mathematics? Almost whatever I discover myself, after searching through google, specifically wikipedia has been discovered in 18-20th centuries :|
These mathematicians of 20th century were really ***holes
Hey @Ted, I heard back from my advisor; two professors from MTSU and one from Tennessee Tech are interested in meeting with me. One of the professors from MTSU is the mathematics department head :D
Somewhat, @Jasper, but there are people who work in very specialized corners of subjects. There are also some of us who work in areas which overlap 3 or 4 fields of math. It just depends.
I'll burn out very quickly if I don't experiment with other fields of mathematics. I hope to move on to differential geometry at some point, since it relies heavily on higher dimensions
(I'm starting to lose interest in working with only two dimensions)
@TedShifrin I think you might like to know how I see the other "participants" to this amazing game of computing integrals, series and limits. My profound desire is to see them all extremely good, like Ramanujan or even higher, and all learning from each other, never having in mind the idea of comparing to anyone of them. In my case I only compare with myself, and try to beat myself. I would be very bored if I were the best one in all I do. It's very hard for you to ever understand me.
@TedShifrin I'm not upset on you for the last message, but I only say you don't understand me. In art, this is what I do, all admire the masterpieces, not fight against each other for showing which one is the greatest.
So lets see f(1) can take n values,f(2) can take n-1 values ,f(3) can take n-2 values and so on so the total number functions will be: n*n-1*n-2*n-3............*3*2*1 and that is n!@BalarkaSen
@Teadawg: Most multivariable courses don't use any linear algebra. (Unless you follow my lectures, where it's all integrated.) Typically, multivariable is more plug-and-chug, and linear algebra starts to have a few proofs in it.
@TedShifrin That's what I figured. I'm signing up for summer and fall classes this week, so I wanted to hear your input before potentially screwing myself over :P
Consider the following alternative of the Look and Say sequence (OEIS A005150):
$u_0=N>0$
$u_{n+1}$ is the number of 1s then the number of 2s then ... then the number of 9s in $u_n$.
Example :
$u_0=5,u_1=15,u_2=1115,u_3=3115,u_4=211315,u_5=31121315,u_6=41122315,u_7=3122131415,u_8=41122315,u_...