Difference between revisions of "AoPS Wiki:Article of the Day/Archive"

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==12/1/07==
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===Inequality===
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The subject of mathematical '''inequalities''' is tied closely with [[optimization]] methods.  While most of the subject of inequalities is often left out of the ordinary educational track, they are common in [[mathematics Olympiads]].
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Inequalities are arguably a branch of... [[Inequality|[more]]]
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==11/30/07==
 
==11/30/07==
 
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Revision as of 21:19, 2 December 2007

12/1/07

Inequality

The subject of mathematical inequalities is tied closely with optimization methods. While most of the subject of inequalities is often left out of the ordinary educational track, they are common in mathematics Olympiads.

Inequalities are arguably a branch of... [more]

11/30/07

Asymptote (geometry)

An asymptote is a line or curve that a certain function approaches.

Linear asymptotes can be of three different kinds: horizontal, vertical or slanted (oblique).

The vertical asymptote can be found by finding values of $x$ that make the function undefined, generally because it results in a division by zero, which is undefined... [more]

11/27/07

Complex number

The complex numbers arise when we try to solve equations such as $x^2 = -1$.

We know (from the trivial inequality) that the square of a real number cannot be negative, so this equation has no solutions in the real numbers. However, it is possible to define a number, $i$, such that $i = \sqrt{-1}$. If we add this new number to the reals, we will have solutions to $x^2 = -1$. It turns out that in the system that results... [more]

11/25/07

Set

The notion of a set is one of the fundamental notions in mathematics that is difficult to precisely define. Of course, we have plenty of synonyms for the word "set," like collection, ensemble, group, etc., but those names really do not define the meaning of the word set; all they can do is replace it in various sentences. So, instead of defining what sets are, one has to define what can be done with them or, in other words, what axioms the sets satisfy. These axioms are chosen to agree with our intuitive concept of a set, on one hand, and to allow various, sometimes quite sophisticated, mathematical constructions on the other hand. For the full collection...[more]