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sigma memes (lemmy.world)
submitted 3 months ago by siriusmart@lemmy.world to c/mathmemes
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[-] thanks_shakey_snake@lemmy.ca 9 points 3 months ago
[-] NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de 28 points 3 months ago

The top symbol, Σ (uppercase Sigma), is used in math to denote a sum of a list of values. There is clear separation between the values in the list: two adjacent items in the list have no item in between them.

The bottom symbol, ∫ (long s), denotes an integral, which is kind of a sum over a continuous function. Any two different points of the function, no matter how close they are to each other, will have infinitely many points in between them.

For pedants: the function values don't have to be continuous, but the range of x over which the integral runs does have to be continuous. I regret nothing.

[-] itslilith 5 points 3 months ago

You can integrate over arbitrary domains, not even the range needs to be continuous. You often see integrals not written as \int_a^b, but instead as \int_C where C is just a set

[-] NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 3 months ago

I still regret nothing.

[-] thanks_shakey_snake@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 months ago

Oh cool, thanks. So is this like an anti-aliasing joke or something? Like "if you discretize a small number of pixels, Rick Astley will appear pixelated, but if you interpolate between them, the image will appear clearer?"

[-] NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 3 months ago

Not quite, I think it means the source material is continuous instead of discrete. No interpolation.

But honestly at this point we're reading too much into it.

[-] thanks_shakey_snake@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 months ago

Oh that makes sense. It's hard to get straight what the interpretation should be though because of course the higher-res image is also discrete, just more pixels.

And like... Also why Rick Astley? I'm okay with "why not?" as the explanation there, but I feel like I'm missing something else there too.

But honestly at this point we're reading too much into it.

Yes yes overanalyzing math memes is how I'm compensating for a poor high school experience.

[-] walter_wiggles@lemmy.nz 5 points 3 months ago

The sum approximates the integral.

this post was submitted on 28 Jul 2024
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Math Memes

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