> input: a bunch of things to be added up, with a certain weight for each.
> An example is the average. You add up all of them but weight
> them by 1/(number of things).  average of a, b, and c is
> a/3 +b/3+c/3.
> Usually the term 'integration' is used when the things to
> be added for a continuum of values. Thats why integration is
> considered 'calculus'.
> Say you want to know how a planet is going to revolve around its sun.
> The force of gravity on the planet is not usually constant because the
> planet
> can go from one distance from its sun to other distances. To find out where
> it will be tomorrow, you could 'move' it (on paper) in little increments
> calculating the forces on it anew for each second, using its new position
> and new forces. You are actually adding up all these effects, second
> after second. But since it is more accurate to consider time as a
> continuum, you really should add up a continuum of miniscule
> effects. That is, you 'integrate' the effects
>
> output: the sum
>
> oh yeah, 'the area under the curve' explanation comes from finding the
> area under a curve by adding up a bunch of rectangular regions (for
> which you know that area=length X width) areas

Okay, I sort of follow al this, but integral outputs a function, right? What's
the different x-values of the function represent? And what would be the point of
finding the average of all points in a planet's orbit? it'd just be the center
of the ellipse

--
Homepage: http://www.faricy.net/~davidf/
___     ______________________________
 | \     |_       <dav### [at] faricynet>
 |_/avid |ontaine      <ICQ 55354965>

Post a reply to this message