Newton Memes

Newton's derivative notation strikes again with maximum chaos energy. The equation shows d q ω/dt q = ω̇ (omega with dots above it), and honestly, this is the most Newton thing ever. While Leibniz was out here inventing clean, logical notation that clearly shows what you're differentiating with respect to what, Newton was like "nah, I'll just slap some dots on top and call it a day." The joke here is that Newton's dot notation (those dots floating above the ω) looks suspiciously like he just... kept adding dots for higher-order derivatives. Need a second derivative? Two dots. Third? Three dots. It's the mathematical equivalent of naming your variables x, xx, xxx. The "q" superscripts on the left side suggest this is a q-th order derivative, which would require q dots stacked vertically in Newton's notation—basically turning into a dotted line ascending to the heavens. Plot twist: Newton probably chose this notation specifically because it was easier to write by hand in the 1600s. But looking at it now? It's like he designed it to confuse physics students three centuries later. Mission accomplished, Isaac.

This is basically the Crips vs Bloods of mathematics. On the red side, we've got Leibniz with his dy/dx notation for derivatives—smooth, elegant, and looks like actual fractions (even though they're not, but shhhh). On the blue side, there's Newton rocking the dot notation for derivatives, keeping it simple and clean. The funny thing? These two literally invented calculus independently around the same time and got into one of history's pettiest academic beefs about who did it first. Their rivalry was so intense it split European mathematics for generations. Leibniz's notation won the popularity contest though—most of us learn dy/dx in school because it's way more intuitive for showing what's actually happening. Newton's dot notation still shows up in physics for time derivatives, so both gangs are still repping to this day. Choose your fighter wisely—your calculus professor is judging you.