this post was submitted on 14 Jul 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] iAvicenna@lemmy.world 57 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (7 children)

operative?

Also mathematicians use i for imaginary, engineers use j. The story does not add up. I have never seen a single mathematician use j for imaginary.

[–] sartalon@lemmy.world 9 points 6 days ago (1 children)

As an EE, I used both. Def not a mathematician though. Fuck that, I just plug variables into programs now.

[–] the_tab_key@lemmy.world 5 points 6 days ago

I have both mechanical and electrical backgrounds. MEs like I, EEs prefer j

[–] SanicHegehog@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago

imaJinary

TIL engineers can't spell for shit.

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[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 31 points 6 days ago

I have no idea what they're talking about, but I do love a happy ending.

[–] laserm@lemmy.world 25 points 6 days ago (3 children)

Why would a mathematician use j for imaginary numbers and why would engineer be mad at them?

[–] CyanideShotInjection@lemmy.world 24 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The only thing I can think of is that the OP studied electrical engineering at some point. But it's a 4chan story so probably fake anyway.

[–] dandelion@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 5 days ago

fake and gay?

[–] prex@aussie.zone 10 points 6 days ago

I think it might be the wrong way around: Engineers like to use j for imaginary numbers because i is needed for current.

[–] AlboTheGuy@feddit.nl 8 points 6 days ago

Mathematicians are taught to be elastic with notation, because they tend to be taught many different interpretations of the same theory.

On the other hand engineers use more strict and consistent notation, their classes have a more practical approach.

Using the same notation makes it faster to read and apply math, a more agile approach helps with learning new theories and approaches and with being creative.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 47 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Me, a language/arts person: "Huh?"

[–] axEl7fB5@lemmy.cafe 20 points 6 days ago (2 children)
[–] lena@gregtech.eu 4 points 6 days ago

Fullstack dev here. "Huh?"

[–] jenesaisquoi@feddit.org 4 points 6 days ago

Webdev not knowing anything about computer science (and thus mathematics)? I am shocked. Shocked!

[–] Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 19 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[–] nfamwap@feddit.uk 9 points 6 days ago

Moron here. "Huh?"

[–] CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 36 points 6 days ago (1 children)

This is the kind of brat I can get behind. 😏

[–] _g_be@lemmy.world 11 points 6 days ago
[–] BudgetBandit@sh.itjust.works 19 points 6 days ago

I love how that wannabe 4chan nerd just got outnerded in the comment section

[–] vivalapivo@lemmy.today 30 points 6 days ago (1 children)

As a physicist I can't understand why would anyone complain about a +jb or $\int dx f(x)$. Probably because we don't fuck

[–] RamblingPanda@lemmynsfw.com 21 points 6 days ago (5 children)

As a software dude I can see you wrote a regex, I just can't find out what you're trying to match.

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[–] OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml 27 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Better plot than 50 Shades of Grey

[–] xx3rawr@sh.itjust.works 9 points 6 days ago (1 children)

hehe plot. getit? math and graphs and shit

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[–] Phoenix3875@lemmy.world 24 points 6 days ago (2 children)

I think rather d/dx is the operator. You apply it to an expression to bind free occurrences of x in that expression. For example, dx²/dx is best understood as d/dx (x²). The notation would be clear if you implement calculus in a program.

[–] bhamlin@lemmy.world 19 points 6 days ago (1 children)

If not fraction, why fraction shaped?

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I just think of the definition of a derivative.

d is just an infinitesimally small delta. So dy/dx is literally just lim (∆ -> 0) ∆y/∆x. which is the same as lim (x_1 -> x_0) [f(x_0) - f(x_1)] / [x_0 - x_1].

Note: ∆ -> 0 isn't standard notation. But writing ∆x -> 0 requires another step of thinking: y = f(x) therefore ∆y = ∆f(x) = f(x + ∆x) - f(x) so you only need ∆x approaching zero. But I prefer thinking d = lim (∆ -> 0) ∆.

[–] itslilith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 20 points 6 days ago (2 children)

$\int dx f(x)$ is standard notation for physicists

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[–] Thordros@hexbear.net 22 points 6 days ago

I believe the correct terminology is denominator mathematician.

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 10 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Can somebody ELI5 this for my troglodyte writer brain?

[–] BlackRoseAmongThorns@slrpnk.net 10 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Integrals are an expression that basically has an opening symbol, and an operation that is written at the end of it that is used also as a closing symbol, looks kinda like:$ {some function of x} dx.

The person basically said "the dx part can be written at the start also, and that would make my so mad :3": $ dx {some function of x}.

This gets their so mad because understandably this makes the notation non-standard and harder to read, also you'd have to use parentheses if the expression doesn't just end at the function.

Note: dollar used instead of integral symbol

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[–] int_not_found@feddit.org 6 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

An integral is usually written like ∫ f(x) dx or alternatively as df(x)/dx. Please note that this is just a way to apply the operation 'Integration', like + applies the operation 'Addition'. There is no real multiplication or division.

But sometimes you can take a shortcut and treat dx as a multiplied constant. This is technically not correct, but under the right circumstances lands you at the same solution as the proper way. This then looks like this ∫ f(y) dy/dx dx = ∫ f(y) dy

Another thing you can do is to move multiplicative constants from inside the Integral to in front of the Integral: ∫ 2f(x) dx = 2 ∫ f(x) dx. (That is always correct btw)

What anon did was combine those two things and basically write ∫ f(x) dx = dx ∫ f(x). Which is nonsensical, but given the above rules not easily disproven.

This is more or less the same tactic used by internet trolls just in a mathy way. Purposefully misinterpreting arguments and information, that cost the other party considerably more energy to discover and rebut. Hence the hate fuck.

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