<p>JetForce,</p>
<p>How in-depth does that proof go? It seems to be like a polynomial is simply a sum of products of linear functions: f(x)=a+b<em>g(x)+c</em>g(x)*g(x), etc</p>
<p>Mikei, I think you’ve gotta also prove that your f(x) is continuous on all three elements that make up a polynomial. At the constant, at x, and at x^n.</p>
<p>Ah yes, that g(x) is continuous (I think this is what you mean?) but for polynomials g(x) should just be x. Then the product of linear functions is continuous and so is the sum. f(x)^n is just a product of continuous functions f(x). And then the constants are, of course, continuous. Nice… I think we may have this down… :P</p>
<p>Speaking of math nerdiness: I’m teaching myself python over the summer and just wrote a quick app that uses Euler’s method to approximate a differential function. I calculate the percent error between the approximation and the exact value so, given enough rows of data, you can see how the function changes. Fun!</p>
<p>When they ask you to prove something, do they give you hints or is there some type of guideline to follow? Or do they just go…“prove this” ?</p>
<p>jamesinho: that sounds like a fun little assignment. I’m gonna do that right now. Thanks for the idea!</p>
<p>@arcadefire1027: Hey, no problem! It turned out to be a pretty compact little script. I was a Perl developer for years before going back to school, and Python is like all the things I liked about Perl combined with all the things I like about Java, but in something less… superfluous.</p>
<p>I like to pick little math algorithms when I practice a language. Often times it helps you understand both the structure of the language, and as a bonus the mathematical concept you are modeling.</p>
<p>However, don’t try to write your own supplementary function library to do calculus. That way lies madness.</p>