The Unforgivable Mathematical Sin

The Unforgivable Mathematical Sin
math-memes, engineering-memes, taylor-series-memes, approximation-memes, calculus-memes | ScienceHumor.io

Engineers committing mathematical heresy by approximating sin(x) with just x - x³/6 is the kind of violence that keeps mathematicians up at night. The full Taylor series for sine contains infinite terms, but engineers just shrug and say "good enough for government work." Pure mathematicians witnessing this crime against calculus is like watching someone eat a five-course meal with their hands. The approximation works surprisingly well for small angles, which is exactly the kind of pragmatic shortcut that makes theoretical mathematicians clutch their chalk in horror.

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