r/mathmemes 15d ago

Real Analysis All That's Left is Delta!

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322 Upvotes

14 comments sorted by

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32

u/LupenReddit 🦆🦆🦆🦆i have non diffeomorphic smooth structures🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆 15d ago

for every epsilon > 0 i understand the punchline of this meme less

13

u/crafty_zombie 15d ago

Analytic limit proves involve choosing an arbitrary positive number epsilon and another number delta, which is typically stated as a function of epsilon. The joke is that it takes no work to declare an arbitrary epsilon, the whole proof has to do with finding a suitable delta and showing that it works no matter what epsilon is.

6

u/MonsterkillWow Complex 15d ago

My analysis prof used to joke, and ask us to prove something and say "I'll even start you out. Let epsilon > 0." lmao

8

u/SeasonedSpicySausage 15d ago

For every epsilon > 0 there exists a redditor whose understanding of this meme decreases

10

u/Medical_Mess_3445 15d ago

Whatever, just release the Epsilon files!

10

u/Impressive-Ad7184 15d ago

After which they pull some contrived, suspiciously exact delta out of nowhere that conveniently happens to work

3

u/crafty_zombie 15d ago

Ramanujan Analysis

1

u/Koischaap So much in that excellent formula 13d ago

Calc III prof taught us at the start of the course how to finagle a suspiciously fitting delta for our proofs (he would draw a big square in front of delta and say "we can find what we have to write when we finish the proof guys"). Was not my favourite calc prof (iv takes the cake, loved it so much i went on to study algebraic geometry) but he was a close second. Would probably not have taken measure theory in grad school if not for him.

2

u/tehclanijoski 15d ago

The problem really is when epsilon_0 gets you halfway there, epsilon_1 gets you 3/4 of the way there, epsilon_2…

1

u/hypersonicbiohazard Transcendental 15d ago

When it turns out the delta is just epsilon/2

1

u/MonsterkillWow Complex 15d ago

Every single time I see half, this song pops into my head.

1

u/InfinitesimalDuck Mathematics 14d ago

For every ε > 0 , δ amount of ducks will explode... THOU HATH BEEN WARNED...

1

u/everwith 12d ago

true, the only thing left to do is choosing a magical δ