Partial derivatives? PARTIAL DERIVATIVES?! You only did maths up to GCSE and now you're having to do partial derivatives?! *faints*
We didn't even do partial derivatives until this term, and we all did A-level Maths! (Apart from those know-it-all nuisances who sat there and complained 'oh we've done this, isn't this easy?' Grr. *kills 'em dead*) *pets* Poor Iona.
Partial derivatives is one thing I think I can probably do, though, so if you run out of people to ask, I'm here. (Although, I don't think I could use them to find an optimal solution ... so maybe not such a good idea ... *g*) Good luck!
Terrifying, isn't it? :) That said, I am a PPEist, so maybe I'm just not supposed to be good at it.
Hang on: partial derivatives weren't on the A-level? What about implicit differentiation? I've sort of assumed that everything I'm being made to do is on it.
In the example above, I've found the three derivatives, but finding the optimal value of U (ie setting them all to equal 0 and trying to solve for N, S, and lambda using the three simultaneous equations) is causing the problem. I found what I thought were sensible values for N and S, but then the value for lambda screwed it all up. Groan.
I think implicit differentiation was, although I don't think they called it that at A-level, which always confuses me. Possibly some boards did partial derivatives too, 'cos as I mentioned there were a fair few people who had already done them.
I think your writing talent must be encroaching on the mathematical side of your brain. It's the only sensible explanation. :P (Plus, university seems designed to make us feel rubbish...)
N.B. I am silly. Optimal solution = maximum? Which I can do. This is the sort of problem solving that's supposed to be obvious to undergraduate Physicists. *wails*
"Excruciating" is a good word. I shall use it in my forthcoming long and deeply bitter letter addressed to the University of Oxford Department of Economics.
There's a meme going round which takes seven of your icons at random, automatically generates a colourbar and then puts "[your username] is love!" on it. It amuses me far too much. But so many people are using it that the site keeps going down and the graphics aren't showing up.
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ninetydegrees
no subject
on 2006-01-04 10:49 pm (UTC)I am having horrifying flashbacks to college calculus. *shudder*
Best to concentrate on the Middle 8 Who theme, as you've suggested. Damn, I love it to bits.
*is NOT thinking of calculus*
*is NOT thinking of calculus*
no subject
on 2006-01-04 11:02 pm (UTC)Wish I wasn't thinking of calculus. *hates on maths*
no subject
on 2006-01-05 06:02 pm (UTC)*g*
My distaste for partial derivatives was equalled by my hate of Integration By Parts, not to mention the unholy union of Calculus and Trigonometry.
Take the integral of the sine of this over the cotangent of what to the which power? And what are all those Greek letters doing? I forgot my "+C"!
What the hell? *cries*
no subject
on 2006-01-04 11:04 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-01-05 12:28 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-01-04 11:32 pm (UTC)We didn't even do partial derivatives until this term, and we all did A-level Maths! (Apart from those know-it-all nuisances who sat there and complained 'oh we've done this, isn't this easy?' Grr. *kills 'em dead*) *pets* Poor Iona.
Partial derivatives is one thing I think I can probably do, though, so if you run out of people to ask, I'm here. (Although, I don't think I could use them to find an optimal solution ... so maybe not such a good idea ... *g*) Good luck!
no subject
on 2006-01-05 12:46 pm (UTC)Hang on: partial derivatives weren't on the A-level? What about implicit differentiation? I've sort of assumed that everything I'm being made to do is on it.
In the example above, I've found the three derivatives, but finding the optimal value of U (ie setting them all to equal 0 and trying to solve for N, S, and lambda using the three simultaneous equations) is causing the problem. I found what I thought were sensible values for N and S, but then the value for lambda screwed it all up. Groan.
no subject
on 2006-01-05 08:06 pm (UTC)I think your writing talent must be encroaching on the mathematical side of your brain. It's the only sensible explanation. :P (Plus, university seems designed to make us feel rubbish...)
N.B. I am silly. Optimal solution = maximum? Which I can do. This is the sort of problem solving that's supposed to be obvious to undergraduate Physicists. *wails*
no subject
on 2006-01-05 04:30 am (UTC)By the way, what's supposed to be under the cut? Nothing's showing up for me.
no subject
on 2006-01-05 12:48 pm (UTC)There's a meme going round which takes seven of your icons at random, automatically generates a colourbar and then puts "[your username] is love!" on it. It amuses me far too much. But so many people are using it that the site keeps going down and the graphics aren't showing up.
no subject
on 2006-01-05 07:49 am (UTC)And BBM you still up for it on the weekend? Cause I'm poking miranda and she may not be able to go *tear*
no subject
on 2006-01-05 12:49 pm (UTC)God, I don't know! I've got way too much work to do - right now I'm just messing about online, of course - but I want to go. We shall see.
no subject
on 2006-01-05 11:21 pm (UTC)