#help

70 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

dapper heath
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Lanchester laws

daring quarryBOT
dapper heath
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@hallow plover

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Hi

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It was the thing about Lanchester laws

hallow plover
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Hi

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So, you don't have a background in calculus?

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@dapper heath

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Generally, differential equations is part of a 4th course on calculus. It goes roughly: 1 semester for differential and integral calculus, 1 semester for more advanced integral calculus, sequences, and series, 1 semester for multivariate calculus, and finally 1 semester for ordinary differential equations.

dapper heath
dapper heath
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Could I just learn the basics?

hallow plover
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If you've had algebra and geometry, have you had precalculus? Trig?

dapper heath
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In like a week?

hallow plover
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Do you know how to compute limits?

dapper heath
dapper heath
hallow plover
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you're biting off more than you can chew if you want to get a good grasp of how differential equations work in that case.

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I can give you the basics tho

dapper heath
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I just need the basics to learn how the Lanchester laws work and that's it

hallow plover
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Differential equations relate how a function changes with what the function is.

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Lanchester's laws are relatively straightforward for a coupled differential equation

dapper heath
hallow plover
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in order to solve them, you do

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in order to describe them, you do not.

dapper heath
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What does actually solving the equation do?

hallow plover
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The solution to a differential equation is a family of functions.

dapper heath
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I only need the equations for calculating like a battle in history or something

hallow plover
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and that function family describes the behavior of the values you care about

dapper heath
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Something like "how effective is the Lanchester law work in perdicitnv the outcome of a battle", do I need to solve the solutions for that?

hallow plover
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in other words, if you solve this differential equation you can find out the population of the armies over time as a battle drags on

hallow plover
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Unless someone has already solved it for you

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for a particular battle.

dapper heath
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I see

hallow plover
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but then you're just reporting on the work of others, rather than doing your own work.

dapper heath
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Could you tell me what topics I need to study to learn how to solve it?

hallow plover
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in a week?

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I don't think you can do it in a week

dapper heath
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Max in a month

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Like, do I have to take a full calc course?

hallow plover
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For this particular ODE, you would need an estimated 80% of the calc 1 course, 30% of the calc 2 course, about 10% of calc 3, and about 30% of ODEs, plus you would need some of the foundational stuff from precalculus. But rushing calculus in this manner will probably handicap your understanding. These are just off the cuff guesses, what could you get away with and still actually get the problem when you finally arrive.

dapper heath
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I mean I'm going to learn calc anyways, but that starts next year.

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But I don't have time until next year

hallow plover
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Is this for a high school class?

dapper heath
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Yeah. The extended essay for IB

hallow plover
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you'll probably want to partner up with someone who already knows how to solve ODEs

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since this is an essay, I'm assuming it is not for math, but for some other class?

dapper heath
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Yeah

hallow plover
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if so, are there any teachers in your math department who would be willing to lend a hand?

dapper heath
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But my topic is on math

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Nope

hallow plover
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Do your parents have any friends who are engineers, or alternatively are any of your friends' parents engineers?

dapper heath
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Nope

hallow plover
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well dang. How about this? You really shouldn't be wasting so much time on the math portion of this tbh. I'm happy to help solving an ODE every now and again, just be sure to credit me in your paper so you don't get dinged for plagiarism or academic dishonesty or whatever.

dapper heath
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So my topic is like, mathematics in warfare, is there any way to make the Lanchester law algebraic or an alternate theorem?

hallow plover
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I'm also available for conceptual questions, gratis of course.

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but on an as available basis

dapper heath
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?

hallow plover
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as in, just get started with your research into this topic, and when you run into a snag ask me a question, and I'll help if I can

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I'm willing to spend a few hours over the next month or so helping.

dapper heath
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Thank you

hallow plover
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yw, DM me, and I'll provide my credentials and real name, so that you can cite me in your paper.

dapper heath
hallow plover
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however,

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you still have a pretty large problem.

dapper heath
hallow plover
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in order to test the efficacy of this differential equation

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you need data to test it against.