Life lessons from differential equations
by John from John D. Cook on (#F772)
Ten life lessons from differential equations:
- Some problems simply have no solution.
- Some problems have no simple solution.
- Some problems have many solutions.
- Determining that a solution exists may be half the work of finding it.
- Solutions that work well locally may blow up when extended too far.
- Boundary conditions are the hard part.
- Something that starts out as a good solution may become a very bad solution.
- You can fool yourself by constructing a solution where one doesn't exist.
- Expand your possibilities to find a solution, then reduce them to see how good the solution is.
- You can sometimes do what sounds impossible by reframing your problem.
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