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Asymptote. The graph of a function with a horizontal ( y = 0), vertical ( x = 0), and oblique asymptote (purple line, given by y = 2 x ). A curve intersecting an asymptote infinitely many times. In analytic geometry, an asymptote ( / ˈæsɪmptoʊt /) of a curve is a line such that the distance between the curve and the line approaches zero as ...
Glossary of mathematical symbols. A mathematical symbol is a figure or a combination of figures that is used to represent a mathematical object, an action on mathematical objects, a relation between mathematical objects, or for structuring the other symbols that occur in a formula. As formulas are entirely constituted with symbols of various ...
Slope. Slope: In mathematics, the slope or gradient of a line is a number that describes the direction and steepness of the line. [ 1] Often denoted by the letter m, slope is calculated as the ratio of the vertical change to the horizontal change ("rise over run") between two distinct points on the line, giving the same number for any choice of ...
A back-of-the-envelope calculation is a rough calculation, typically jotted down on any available scrap of paper such as an envelope. It is more than a guess but less than an accurate calculation or mathematical proof. The defining characteristic of back-of-the-envelope calculations is the use of simplified assumptions.
In mathematics, analytic geometry, also known as coordinate geometry or Cartesian geometry, is the study of geometry using a coordinate system. This contrasts with synthetic geometry . Analytic geometry is used in physics and engineering, and also in aviation, rocketry, space science, and spaceflight. It is the foundation of most modern fields ...
e. The world line (or worldline) of an object is the path that an object traces in 4- dimensional spacetime. It is an important concept of modern physics, and particularly theoretical physics . The concept of a "world line" is distinguished from concepts such as an "orbit" or a "trajectory" (e.g., a planet's orbit in space or the trajectory of ...
In the three-dimensional case, the situation is more complicated as now one has horizontal and vertical planes in addition to horizontal and vertical lines. Consider a point P and designate a direction through P as vertical. A plane which contains P and is normal to the designated direction is the horizontal plane at P.
The blue and green lines are projections of the helix onto the vertical and horizontal planes respectively and represent how the electric field changes in the direction of those two planes. Notice how the rightward horizontal component is now one quarter of a wavelength behind the vertical component.