P1ayer-1/eli5-questions · Datasets at Hugging Face

title stringlengths 1 312	post_id stringlengths 5 7	over_18 bool 2 classes	subreddit stringclasses 1 value	link_flair_text stringlengths 2 63 ⌀	self_text stringlengths 1 32k ⌀
ELI5: Will humans ever see every possible combination of playing cards?	66kp4b	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
ELI5: Why is 3.14 more commonly used as a substitute for pi even though 22/7 is closer?	66l9cq	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	Title says it, 3.14 is about 99.95% of pi but 22/7 is 100.04% of pi, which is closer to the actual value.
ELI5: Why is x^2 called squared and x^3 called cubed but, after that the no longer have names and are to the power of a number?	66rpn6	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELIF: Why is there 360 degrees in a circle, not something like 500?	66snx7	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	This isn't just limited for circles... Thanks
ELI5: How does the concept of infinities and smaller infinities tie into how the universe works and how it was probably structured?	66t6do	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
ELI5: Why was the invention of 'zero' such a big deal, and how did it change things?	66ya1u	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: Why say 4 in 1000 chance instead of 1 in 250?	679pf6	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	4 in 1000 seems equivalent to 1 in 250. It seems confusing and unnecessary to standardize at x in 1000 instead of 1 in x chance
ELI5: Can someone explain to me how statistical hypothesis testing works?	67t2yk	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[deleted]
#ELI5 What exactly is an algorithm, and how do they work and apply? What makes an algorithm different from an equation, and what are some of the basic principles associated or explain through them?	67t6hb	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
ELI5:An elite mathematician can take over any role such as a Physicist, Engineer, Programmer and so on. So why do they choose to stay in pure mathematics and not apply it to real world practical problems?	67u62e	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
ELI5: Probability Density Functions, mainly What's the difference between the "Skew Normal Distribution" and the "Generalized Normal Distribution (version 2)"?	67ufa4	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	Relevant Wikipedia Article: SND and GND I don't know much about the entire topic, and clearly lack (a lot) of mathematical knowledge... So there's a few things I wanted to know: Both the SND and GND should be able to get the same curve right? Or are the difference only minor? Why do the function (based on what's on the wikipedia page, under the picture for PDF) looks so different between the two? (or are they actually similar?) I can't even read the one for the SND. I think I saw that they have an equivalent where they're discrete and not continuous. I'm interested in these function to have something like, "given a mean, variance, location, scale and shape, what's the value of y for a given x?". Do I need a discrete or continuous function for that? Will this work? That's a lot of questions, so maybe a link to a general/global article about the topic would help me, but I'm not going to pretend that I understand the wikipedia article, since, as you can see, I'm pretty lost ._. Maybe this is more suited for /r/math? Thanks !
ELI5: How do compounded percentiles work?	687b2x	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[deleted]
ELI5: Why are imaginary numbers useful in math if they are not actually possible?	68b1oh	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5:How do you derive the Bernoulli Numbers?	68dxk7	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[deleted]
ELI5: Why is that, if you take any number, multiply by 2, add 8, divide by 2, and subtract your new number by the number you start with, it always equals 4?	6eoz8p	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	Examples: 88 * 2 = 176 + 8 = 184 / 2 = 92 - 88 = 4 9 * 2 = 18 + 8 = 26 / 2 = 13 - 9 = 4 2043 * 2 = 4086 + 8 = 4094 / 2 = 2047 - 2043 = 4
ELI5:Did 1.999... is the same of 2? and how	6f3q8b	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[deleted]
ELI5: Why does e (the number) come up in so many seemingly random applications?	6f40be	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: How does the creation of the mandelbrot set work?	6fnlxo	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	I read multiple articles about the mandelbrot set, but i don't really understand how the creation of it exactly works.
ELI5: What would happen if the USA tried to annex Canada?	6fym8c	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
ELI5:The four-square theorem	6g7b45	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5:How big is TREE(3) and why it can get so big?	6gjzet	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	I have searched Google but haven't found any easy and useful explanations.
ELI5: If I try to study measuring a cube how likely will it get scored?	6hbfml	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[deleted]
ELI5: How did the maker of the first clock know what time to set the clock to?	6hcmve	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
How come I can determine if a number is a multiple of 3 by verifying if the sum of the digits is a multiple of 3?	6hdy3b	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
ELI5: What do Sin( Cos( and Tan() actually do to a number? Do they have a value, and act as a multiplier or does it change from number to number?	6hgqt0	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5:How come when multiplying bxh to get the area of a square, changing it to different measurements yields a different result?	6hjbud	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[deleted]
How do I calculate the incline of a slope?	6hphhg	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
ELI5: Why are some human brains incapable of understanding advanced math?	6hu6yi	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: Are there any possible solutions to x = 2^x?	6i505m	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
ElI5: How and why do we know that the order of operations produces the correct results?	6ifrlf	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	EDIT: Got the answers I needed. Thanks, all.
ELI5: A deck of cards can be arranged in more ways than there are atoms on earth. How can this be when there are only 52 cards in a deck?	6igkhz	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[deleted]
ELI5: Please help me with this GRE question	6iiz0t	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	This question is here: http://i.imgur.com/Wy3398M.jpg The answer is B. Why can we not plug in -1 and get D? Please help :(
ELI5:Fermat's last theory	6imhfe	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	The proof behind it as well plz!
ELI5: Why is there a specific order for solving maths and how did it come to be that way?	6ip053	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	Talking about PEMDAS here.
ELI5: what is Mandelbrot Zoom?	6jbhnc	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
ELI5:How can a number be infinite (my example is Pi) if at one point you were that age exactly?	6jdo6j	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[deleted]
ELI5: Why every numbers always has the same probability to win at the lottery? Why numbers that have already won don't have lower probability?	6jopqy	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: Why is a straight line on a globe extremely curvy on the mercator projection?	6jq2gy	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	This question comes from the vlogbrother's video 42 amazing maps starting at 1:25. How is it possible that a line that curvy is straight on a globe?
ELI5: Can somebody explain the relation between real numbers and radians to me?	4jbsjs	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: why do tv stations cancel their shows, saying they don't have enough viewers. How did they get those exact numbers?	4jpykp	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: What is the purpose of higher level mathematics?	4ju3ay	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	Geometry describes the physical nature of our world while algebra is a sophisticated tool for mathematical analysis, still directly applicable to the physical world (i.e. We know Sallie has X apples. We only know Jack has 5x as many apples as Sallie, but we know they both have 36 apples combined. We then infer that Sallie has 6 apples and Jack has 30.) Calculus was developed out of a need to understand continuously changing quantities. Newton, for example, was trying to understand the effect of gravity which causes falling objects to constantly accelerate. From basic arithmetic through calculus, I can see the purpose of math. However, beyond that, what purpose do even higher level math concepts, proofs, etc. serve? What are we seeking to achieve through high-level math?
ELI5: Why are irrational numbers [pi / e / phi] important?	4jxzhf	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: A snail sits on a rubberband. Every day the snail crawls forward one inch on the rubberband. But every day the length of the band is stretched to double it's length. Apperently the snail will eventually reach the end of the band, given enough time. How does this work?	4jyivl	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	This was something a physics major told me. Not sure if he was messing with me, or if he's wrong. But if there's any truth to it, i'd be glad to hear an explanation.
ELI5: Google's new TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) What does it do and why?	4jzofl	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	Google announced their own custom TPU It seems interesting, I've read a bit about it but I still don't really get it.
ELI5: How are Infinitesimals something used in mathematics if you can make any number smaller?	4kdylu	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: P VS NP and why the solution could compromise security systems?	4kj4uv	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
ELI5: How does society know exactly what time it is if almost all clocks are some what inaccurate?	4kl3p5	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	I know that the length of a second is just the duration of 9192631770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium 133 atom. Is the time then just expanded mathematically and compared to how long it takes the earth to spin or is there something else that can be used to measure?
ELI5:How much would a bullet have to travel to do no damage to a human, or for us to catch it.	4kmuf2	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
ELI5:How do the 25 character codes work?	4knvz9	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	I mean there's only 900 different options so how can they sell so many and not have people just enter random codes.
ELI5 How can there be mathematical problems that hasn't been solved before? Don't you have to have an answer for it to be a proper question?	4knydm	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5:What exactly is "Pi" and how was it theorized. proved and calculated in the first place?	4kymvt	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: How basic math symbols were defined? (+ - x etc)	4l3qoh	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	I teach basic math for adults and wanted to explain to them why these symbols are what they are, so that they can absorb it better. I'd like to explain to them like the equal symbol: two identical lines side by side that represent that things on both sides are equal. How can I explain the addition, subtraction, multiplication and division symbols for them?
ELI5: Inequality in Recurrence Relation	4l701x	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	This is probably a very simple inequality that I'm just having a mental block with, but here it goes.. Here's a picture of the beginning of the problem with what I understand/don't understand marked in red: http://i.imgur.com/21n8PNx.png All comments/suggestions greatly appreciated!
ELI5: Gödel's sentence G	4lf2ef	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[deleted]
ELI5:Predictive Modeling	4lg49k	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	I build a lot of linear and logistic models in R and SAS for school and while I understand them well myself, I'm quite awful at explaining the concept to friends and family in a way that they can understand. Does anyone have a simple way of explaining the concept?
ELI5 Area under the curve	4lkm6v	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: Why is there a large debate on "0^0=1"?	4ltepb	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: Formal Proof of 1 + 1 = 2	4lx4uf	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	Can someone ELI5 the formal proof of 1 + 1 = 2? Thanks in advance!
ELI5:Factorials of fractions	5lj4nr	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	I'm having some issues understanding the concept of factoring fractorial numbers, I understand that you can graph them but is that the only way of solving it?
ELI5: How do scientists and other experts in these movies and documentaries figure out theories, conclusions etc with the help of complicated, for the untrained mind seemingly alien, mathematical equations. How does math tie into space research or elements and stuff.	5lr4rm	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: How did we determine the order of operations in mathematics?	5ltvdv	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	I'm very bad at math so I know little about it, but I was wondering, how did we discover the rules for the order by which we perform operations in algebra? Surely it was not some arbritrary decision to make multiplication and division come before addition and subtraction?
ELI5: Noether's Theorem	5m31ba	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: What is an axiom?	5m4t6n	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	Can axioms be proven to be false? (mathematical axioms for instance)
Eli5: how to use Calculus	5mdv89	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	I understand the purpose of calculus, I took a couple courses on it in high school but haven't really retained much about it's aplication. Can how to use Calculus be simply explained? Edit: To be more specific, I'm not looking for examples of what it is used for but how to do the actual math. Thanks for the comments though. Edit 2: The sort of uses I'm looking for are simple things like volume of a container or determining the abv of a mixed drink or other such "everyday" uses of calculus. And apologies for the lack of clairity in my original post; I've lurked a while, but aparently not enough to post well
ELI5:Why the definition of an integer is independent of the number base used?	5mqrvv	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[deleted]
ELI5: Normalization	5n48dg	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	This question relates itself mostly to 3D graphics in computer science. I have read numerous times now how in many cases with software, you normalize the value of certain parameters, but i find it hard to grasp exactly why you normalize values. I know in certain cases you do it to avoid overflow, but why in particular is normalization of parameters in 3D graphics important?
ELI5: Is it a bad thing to make the constant zero in regression analysis?	5n63o7	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	I'm relatively new to statistics and I've heard different viewpoints on this that are above my head mathematically...can someone explain the negatives/positives?
ELI5:What happens when Pascal's Triangle starts with 0?	5nhd2i	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[deleted]
ELI5: Why are most flag ratios consecutive Fibonacci numbers?	5ni5vg	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	The Fibonacci ratios 1:1, 1:2, 2:3, 3:5, 5:8, etc. and the Lucas ratios 4:7, 7:11, 3:4 are some of the most common flag ratios in the world (only two of them account for 73% of all flags of sovereign states). I'm guessing this has a lot to do with approaching the golden ratio but I wonder whether this is a natural occurrence (maybe golden ratio flags look better) or if they all arose from careful consideration. Also, does having a golden ratio flag make it wave any better? Thanks
ELI5: In maths, why is infinity minus infinity equal to "undefined" and not "minus infinity"?	5nlear	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: Why is the number 'e' so important?	5nlnuh	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	I have never worked with it until I started university this year (Mechanical Engineering) and it comes up everywhere! In Mathematical Analysis 1 we covered where it comes from, but not what it has to do with Gibbs' free energy and a million other formulas in Physics Explain like I'm a first year engineering student
ELI5: How do sin, cos, tan and their reciprocals work with angles that are multiples of 90? It seems like the opposite and adjacent wouldn't even be a part of the problem, but that's not what the results say...	5nuyd1	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	In my precalc we're currently learning about unit circles, and I've never before been so confused by math. At 90, 180, 270, and 360 degrees sin cos and tangent give many results which I simply don't understand! For example, how is the tan of 90 undefined, when at 180, it's zero? There still is no 'adjacent' (or opposite), why isn't the equation still dividing by zero? The only side there is is the hypotenuse. I've spent at least a few hours trying to wrap my head around this and I can't and i'm not even usually bad at math. I'd deeply appreciate any help from anyone experienced in trig. Also i'm sure someone will ask, I did ask my teacher, and I just had more questions. :/
ELI5: The Information Bottleneck Method	5o17m1	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
"ELI5": How can astronomers "find" planets based only on the physics and behaviour of other planetary bodies around it?	5olku3	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	I saw the post on the front page about a potential 9th planet. I just don't understand how you can find a planet without seeing it, when everything in space is moving at 483,000 miles an hour, their are other planets out there that could be pulling and pushing on this 9th planet. It just seems to me there are so many things that throw of the calculations and the math it seems impossible to pinpoint such a thing.
ELI5: What are the odds of rolling a die twice and landing on the same number?	5ou982	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	I've read it remains 1/6 because the outcome of the second roll remains independent but then I've also read that it's 1/36 because you have to factor in all possible outcomes.
ELI5:If computers and processors using the binary system (numeric base of 2) would change to a duodecimal system (numeric base of twelve), would it change the computing power?	5oz0xd	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: Gaussian Moat Conjecture and its potential implications	5p6xph	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: How did the tax write-offs that let Uwe Boll make bad movies save more money than the expenses of production?	5p8bsh	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
ELI5: How do you count large crowds and give accurate estimates of people attending?	5ppa83	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
ELI5:How were the values of constants such as e and pi historically determined, and why do these constants find themselves in so many formulae?	5pu36m	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: Explain step by step the formula for the sum of geometric progressions and how to use it.	5puubv	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	Seen here: S to the base n = a to the base 1(1-r^n)/1-r(r≠1) http://www.intmath.com/series-binomial-theorem/2-geometric-progressions.php
ELIF: the coefficient of determination and what's its significance is in statistics	5pw3a0	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: How does imposing a 20% tax on Mexican imports, WHICH will be paid BY American Citizens, make Mexico pay for the wall?	5qffwc	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
ELI5: what Li groups/Li symmetries are.	5qklnf	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[deleted]
ELI5: Weighted moving average	5r8acs	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	First time posting. if I transgress any etiquette in posting, please point out so i can address them. I have searched the keyword weighted moving average before posting. No results. Here it goes: I need to calculate moving average in a way that allows me to have the number of data points being averaged out to be a variable. I want to do it in Google Spreadsheets too. I googled and chanced upon this formula. http://eeandcs.blogspot.sg/2014/09/weighted-moving-averages-on-google.html I found it a bit dense. I just need help to break it down until I can understand then I will write my own scripts. Thank you!
ELI5: Why, in statistics, would you ever want to represent data with the median as opposed to the average?	5ra9vr	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	Wouldn't the average do a better job at taking in the big picture? Like if you had a median of 5 but then all the other numbers were below 2 or above 10, wouldn't this be inaccurate and misleading?
ELI5: What is the difference between Spearman correlation and Kendall tau?	6r8ql1	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	And when would you prefer to use one over the other?
ELI5: Proportions	6rkz69	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
ELI5: The mathematics of continua, specifically Peirce's work.	6rw73l	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: What is the mathematical constant e, and why is it so important?	6s0nlh	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	Euler's number (e) has always confused me. I know its value is approximately 2.718..., but I have no idea how that was derived or what makes it so special. I know it's the base of natural log (ln), but what are the unique applications of that? Why is e used in continuously compounded interest, for example? Basically, WTF is up with e?
ELI5: How can scientists so accurately predict when and where total solar eclipses will occur?	6spuui	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[deleted]
ELI5:How does a betting house choose their 'Super Boosted' odds?	6syh0l	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	How do the betting houses decide which odds to inflate as part of a promotion? For example the odds on Team X to win a game are 1/1, however they have shown those odds to be improved and promote it as 'NOW 4/1'.
ELI5: Betting odds! 4-1 odds. 7-4 odds. What does it mean?	6t4lbe	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	I keep seeing "Vegas Odds say" but I don't know what it means.
ELI5:If bitcoin's value is always fluctuating, does this mean goods and services are costing more and less accordingly?	6tdvhe	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
Eli5: If correlation does not imply causation, what does?	6tlngm	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
ELI5: How should I read these numbers?	6ty0xi	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
ELI5: Is it coincidence that some measures are "perfect"? Like, 1 mL of water is equal to 1 cm³ and so on. How did they match this up?	6udax3	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	null
If pi never repeats, how do mathematicians know what comes next?	6uxbpu	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	[removed]
ELI5:[Mathematics] Is there a way to determine if a system is possible but indetermined when using Cramer's rule?	6uy191	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	Edit: Should prabably have worded this as "How can I determine..." but I don't really know how to edit the tittle, so sorry about that.
ELI5: If the lotto numbers "126456" have the same probability to win as any other set of numbers, why do random integers in a random usually win instead?	6v0n6e	false	explainlikeimfive	Mathematics	I know there are many squences of integers but why is it that no squences of numbers in remotely any type of order seem to win?

ELI5: Will humans ever see every possible combination of playing cards?

66kp4b

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

ELI5: Why is 3.14 more commonly used as a substitute for pi even though 22/7 is closer?

66l9cq

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

Title says it, 3.14 is about 99.95% of pi but 22/7 is 100.04% of pi, which is closer to the actual value.

ELI5: Why is x^2 called squared and x^3 called cubed but, after that the no longer have names and are to the power of a number?

66rpn6

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELIF: Why is there 360 degrees in a circle, not something like 500?

66snx7

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

This isn't just limited for circles... Thanks

ELI5: How does the concept of infinities and smaller infinities tie into how the universe works and how it was probably structured?

66t6do

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

ELI5: Why was the invention of 'zero' such a big deal, and how did it change things?

66ya1u

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: Why say 4 in 1000 chance instead of 1 in 250?

679pf6

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

4 in 1000 seems equivalent to 1 in 250. It seems confusing and unnecessary to standardize at x in 1000 instead of 1 in x chance

ELI5: Can someone explain to me how statistical hypothesis testing works?

67t2yk

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[deleted]

#ELI5 What exactly is an algorithm, and how do they work and apply? What makes an algorithm different from an equation, and what are some of the basic principles associated or explain through them?

67t6hb

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

ELI5:An elite mathematician can take over any role such as a Physicist, Engineer, Programmer and so on. So why do they choose to stay in pure mathematics and not apply it to real world practical problems?

67u62e

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

ELI5: Probability Density Functions, mainly What's the difference between the "Skew Normal Distribution" and the "Generalized Normal Distribution (version 2)"?

67ufa4

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

Relevant Wikipedia Article: SND and GND I don't know much about the entire topic, and clearly lack (a lot) of mathematical knowledge... So there's a few things I wanted to know: Both the SND and GND should be able to get the same curve right? Or are the difference only minor? Why do the function (based on what's on the wikipedia page, under the picture for PDF) looks so different between the two? (or are they actually similar?) I can't even read the one for the SND. I think I saw that they have an equivalent where they're discrete and not continuous. I'm interested in these function to have something like, "given a mean, variance, location, scale and shape, what's the value of y for a given x?". Do I need a discrete or continuous function for that? Will this work? That's a lot of questions, so maybe a link to a general/global article about the topic would help me, but I'm not going to pretend that I understand the wikipedia article, since, as you can see, I'm pretty lost ._. Maybe this is more suited for /r/math? Thanks !

ELI5: How do compounded percentiles work?

687b2x

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[deleted]

ELI5: Why are imaginary numbers useful in math if they are not actually possible?

68b1oh

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5:How do you derive the Bernoulli Numbers?

68dxk7

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[deleted]

ELI5: Why is that, if you take any number, multiply by 2, add 8, divide by 2, and subtract your new number by the number you start with, it always equals 4?

6eoz8p

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

Examples: 88 * 2 = 176 + 8 = 184 / 2 = 92 - 88 = 4 9 * 2 = 18 + 8 = 26 / 2 = 13 - 9 = 4 2043 * 2 = 4086 + 8 = 4094 / 2 = 2047 - 2043 = 4

ELI5:Did 1.999... is the same of 2? and how

6f3q8b

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[deleted]

ELI5: Why does e (the number) come up in so many seemingly random applications?

6f40be

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: How does the creation of the mandelbrot set work?

6fnlxo

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

I read multiple articles about the mandelbrot set, but i don't really understand how the creation of it exactly works.

ELI5: What would happen if the USA tried to annex Canada?

6fym8c

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

ELI5:The four-square theorem

6g7b45

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5:How big is TREE(3) and why it can get so big?

6gjzet

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

I have searched Google but haven't found any easy and useful explanations.

ELI5: If I try to study measuring a cube how likely will it get scored?

6hbfml

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[deleted]

ELI5: How did the maker of the first clock know what time to set the clock to?

6hcmve

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

How come I can determine if a number is a multiple of 3 by verifying if the sum of the digits is a multiple of 3?

6hdy3b

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

ELI5: What do Sin( Cos( and Tan() actually do to a number? Do they have a value, and act as a multiplier or does it change from number to number?

6hgqt0

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5:How come when multiplying bxh to get the area of a square, changing it to different measurements yields a different result?

6hjbud

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[deleted]

How do I calculate the incline of a slope?

6hphhg

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

ELI5: Why are some human brains incapable of understanding advanced math?

6hu6yi

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: Are there any possible solutions to x = 2^x?

6i505m

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

ElI5: How and why do we know that the order of operations produces the correct results?

6ifrlf

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

EDIT: Got the answers I needed. Thanks, all.

ELI5: A deck of cards can be arranged in more ways than there are atoms on earth. How can this be when there are only 52 cards in a deck?

6igkhz

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[deleted]

ELI5: Please help me with this GRE question

6iiz0t

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

This question is here: http://i.imgur.com/Wy3398M.jpg The answer is B. Why can we not plug in -1 and get D? Please help :(

ELI5:Fermat's last theory

6imhfe

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

The proof behind it as well plz!

ELI5: Why is there a specific order for solving maths and how did it come to be that way?

6ip053

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

Talking about PEMDAS here.

ELI5: what is Mandelbrot Zoom?

6jbhnc

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

ELI5:How can a number be infinite (my example is Pi) if at one point you were that age exactly?

6jdo6j

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[deleted]

ELI5: Why every numbers always has the same probability to win at the lottery? Why numbers that have already won don't have lower probability?

6jopqy

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: Why is a straight line on a globe extremely curvy on the mercator projection?

6jq2gy

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

This question comes from the vlogbrother's video 42 amazing maps starting at 1:25. How is it possible that a line that curvy is straight on a globe?

ELI5: Can somebody explain the relation between real numbers and radians to me?

4jbsjs

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: why do tv stations cancel their shows, saying they don't have enough viewers. How did they get those exact numbers?

4jpykp

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: What is the purpose of higher level mathematics?

4ju3ay

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

Geometry describes the physical nature of our world while algebra is a sophisticated tool for mathematical analysis, still directly applicable to the physical world (i.e. We know Sallie has X apples. We only know Jack has 5x as many apples as Sallie, but we know they both have 36 apples combined. We then infer that Sallie has 6 apples and Jack has 30.) Calculus was developed out of a need to understand continuously changing quantities. Newton, for example, was trying to understand the effect of gravity which causes falling objects to constantly accelerate. From basic arithmetic through calculus, I can see the purpose of math. However, beyond that, what purpose do even higher level math concepts, proofs, etc. serve? What are we seeking to achieve through high-level math?

ELI5: Why are irrational numbers [pi / e / phi] important?

4jxzhf

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: A snail sits on a rubberband. Every day the snail crawls forward one inch on the rubberband. But every day the length of the band is stretched to double it's length. Apperently the snail will eventually reach the end of the band, given enough time. How does this work?

4jyivl

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

This was something a physics major told me. Not sure if he was messing with me, or if he's wrong. But if there's any truth to it, i'd be glad to hear an explanation.

ELI5: Google's new TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) What does it do and why?

4jzofl

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

Google announced their own custom TPU It seems interesting, I've read a bit about it but I still don't really get it.

ELI5: How are Infinitesimals something used in mathematics if you can make any number smaller?

4kdylu

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: P VS NP and why the solution could compromise security systems?

4kj4uv

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

ELI5: How does society know exactly what time it is if almost all clocks are some what inaccurate?

4kl3p5

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

I know that the length of a second is just the duration of 9192631770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium 133 atom. Is the time then just expanded mathematically and compared to how long it takes the earth to spin or is there something else that can be used to measure?

ELI5:How much would a bullet have to travel to do no damage to a human, or for us to catch it.

4kmuf2

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

ELI5:How do the 25 character codes work?

4knvz9

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

I mean there's only 900 different options so how can they sell so many and not have people just enter random codes.

ELI5 How can there be mathematical problems that hasn't been solved before? Don't you have to have an answer for it to be a proper question?

4knydm

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5:What exactly is "Pi" and how was it theorized. proved and calculated in the first place?

4kymvt

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: How basic math symbols were defined? (+ - x etc)

4l3qoh

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

I teach basic math for adults and wanted to explain to them why these symbols are what they are, so that they can absorb it better. I'd like to explain to them like the equal symbol: two identical lines side by side that represent that things on both sides are equal. How can I explain the addition, subtraction, multiplication and division symbols for them?

ELI5: Inequality in Recurrence Relation

4l701x

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

This is probably a very simple inequality that I'm just having a mental block with, but here it goes.. Here's a picture of the beginning of the problem with what I understand/don't understand marked in red: http://i.imgur.com/21n8PNx.png All comments/suggestions greatly appreciated!

ELI5: Gödel's sentence G

4lf2ef

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[deleted]

ELI5:Predictive Modeling

4lg49k

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

I build a lot of linear and logistic models in R and SAS for school and while I understand them well myself, I'm quite awful at explaining the concept to friends and family in a way that they can understand. Does anyone have a simple way of explaining the concept?

ELI5 Area under the curve

4lkm6v

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: Why is there a large debate on "0^0=1"?

4ltepb

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: Formal Proof of 1 + 1 = 2

4lx4uf

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

Can someone ELI5 the formal proof of 1 + 1 = 2? Thanks in advance!

ELI5:Factorials of fractions

5lj4nr

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

I'm having some issues understanding the concept of factoring fractorial numbers, I understand that you can graph them but is that the only way of solving it?

ELI5: How do scientists and other experts in these movies and documentaries figure out theories, conclusions etc with the help of complicated, for the untrained mind seemingly alien, mathematical equations. How does math tie into space research or elements and stuff.

5lr4rm

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: How did we determine the order of operations in mathematics?

5ltvdv

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

I'm very bad at math so I know little about it, but I was wondering, how did we discover the rules for the order by which we perform operations in algebra? Surely it was not some arbritrary decision to make multiplication and division come before addition and subtraction?

ELI5: Noether's Theorem

5m31ba

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: What is an axiom?

5m4t6n

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

Can axioms be proven to be false? (mathematical axioms for instance)

Eli5: how to use Calculus

5mdv89

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

I understand the purpose of calculus, I took a couple courses on it in high school but haven't really retained much about it's aplication. Can how to use Calculus be simply explained? Edit: To be more specific, I'm not looking for examples of what it is used for but how to do the actual math. Thanks for the comments though. Edit 2: The sort of uses I'm looking for are simple things like volume of a container or determining the abv of a mixed drink or other such "everyday" uses of calculus. And apologies for the lack of clairity in my original post; I've lurked a while, but aparently not enough to post well

ELI5:Why the definition of an integer is independent of the number base used?

5mqrvv

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[deleted]

ELI5: Normalization

5n48dg

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

This question relates itself mostly to 3D graphics in computer science. I have read numerous times now how in many cases with software, you normalize the value of certain parameters, but i find it hard to grasp exactly why you normalize values. I know in certain cases you do it to avoid overflow, but why in particular is normalization of parameters in 3D graphics important?

ELI5: Is it a bad thing to make the constant zero in regression analysis?

5n63o7

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

I'm relatively new to statistics and I've heard different viewpoints on this that are above my head mathematically...can someone explain the negatives/positives?

ELI5:What happens when Pascal's Triangle starts with 0?

5nhd2i

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[deleted]

ELI5: Why are most flag ratios consecutive Fibonacci numbers?

5ni5vg

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

The Fibonacci ratios 1:1, 1:2, 2:3, 3:5, 5:8, etc. and the Lucas ratios 4:7, 7:11, 3:4 are some of the most common flag ratios in the world (only two of them account for 73% of all flags of sovereign states). I'm guessing this has a lot to do with approaching the golden ratio but I wonder whether this is a natural occurrence (maybe golden ratio flags look better) or if they all arose from careful consideration. Also, does having a golden ratio flag make it wave any better? Thanks

ELI5: In maths, why is infinity minus infinity equal to "undefined" and not "minus infinity"?

5nlear

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: Why is the number 'e' so important?

5nlnuh

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

I have never worked with it until I started university this year (Mechanical Engineering) and it comes up everywhere! In Mathematical Analysis 1 we covered where it comes from, but not what it has to do with Gibbs' free energy and a million other formulas in Physics Explain like I'm a first year engineering student

ELI5: How do sin, cos, tan and their reciprocals work with angles that are multiples of 90? It seems like the opposite and adjacent wouldn't even be a part of the problem, but that's not what the results say...

5nuyd1

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

In my precalc we're currently learning about unit circles, and I've never before been so confused by math. At 90, 180, 270, and 360 degrees sin cos and tangent give many results which I simply don't understand! For example, how is the tan of 90 undefined, when at 180, it's zero? There still is no 'adjacent' (or opposite), why isn't the equation still dividing by zero? The only side there is is the hypotenuse. I've spent at least a few hours trying to wrap my head around this and I can't and i'm not even usually bad at math. I'd deeply appreciate any help from anyone experienced in trig. Also i'm sure someone will ask, I did ask my teacher, and I just had more questions. :/

ELI5: The Information Bottleneck Method

5o17m1

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

"ELI5": How can astronomers "find" planets based only on the physics and behaviour of other planetary bodies around it?

5olku3

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

I saw the post on the front page about a potential 9th planet. I just don't understand how you can find a planet without seeing it, when everything in space is moving at 483,000 miles an hour, their are other planets out there that could be pulling and pushing on this 9th planet. It just seems to me there are so many things that throw of the calculations and the math it seems impossible to pinpoint such a thing.

ELI5: What are the odds of rolling a die twice and landing on the same number?

5ou982

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

I've read it remains 1/6 because the outcome of the second roll remains independent but then I've also read that it's 1/36 because you have to factor in all possible outcomes.

ELI5:If computers and processors using the binary system (numeric base of 2) would change to a duodecimal system (numeric base of twelve), would it change the computing power?

5oz0xd

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: Gaussian Moat Conjecture and its potential implications

5p6xph

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: How did the tax write-offs that let Uwe Boll make bad movies save more money than the expenses of production?

5p8bsh

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

ELI5: How do you count large crowds and give accurate estimates of people attending?

5ppa83

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

ELI5:How were the values of constants such as e and pi historically determined, and why do these constants find themselves in so many formulae?

5pu36m

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: Explain step by step the formula for the sum of geometric progressions and how to use it.

5puubv

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

Seen here: S to the base n = a to the base 1(1-r^n)/1-r(r≠1) http://www.intmath.com/series-binomial-theorem/2-geometric-progressions.php

ELIF: the coefficient of determination and what's its significance is in statistics

5pw3a0

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: How does imposing a 20% tax on Mexican imports, WHICH will be paid BY American Citizens, make Mexico pay for the wall?

5qffwc

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

ELI5: what Li groups/Li symmetries are.

5qklnf

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[deleted]

ELI5: Weighted moving average

5r8acs

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

First time posting. if I transgress any etiquette in posting, please point out so i can address them. I have searched the keyword weighted moving average before posting. No results. Here it goes: I need to calculate moving average in a way that allows me to have the number of data points being averaged out to be a variable. I want to do it in Google Spreadsheets too. I googled and chanced upon this formula. http://eeandcs.blogspot.sg/2014/09/weighted-moving-averages-on-google.html I found it a bit dense. I just need help to break it down until I can understand then I will write my own scripts. Thank you!

ELI5: Why, in statistics, would you ever want to represent data with the median as opposed to the average?

5ra9vr

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

Wouldn't the average do a better job at taking in the big picture? Like if you had a median of 5 but then all the other numbers were below 2 or above 10, wouldn't this be inaccurate and misleading?

ELI5: What is the difference between Spearman correlation and Kendall tau?

6r8ql1

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

And when would you prefer to use one over the other?

ELI5: Proportions

6rkz69

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

ELI5: The mathematics of continua, specifically Peirce's work.

6rw73l

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: What is the mathematical constant e, and why is it so important?

6s0nlh

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

Euler's number (e) has always confused me. I know its value is approximately 2.718..., but I have no idea how that was derived or what makes it so special. I know it's the base of natural log (ln), but what are the unique applications of that? Why is e used in continuously compounded interest, for example? Basically, WTF is up with e?

ELI5: How can scientists so accurately predict when and where total solar eclipses will occur?

6spuui

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[deleted]

ELI5:How does a betting house choose their 'Super Boosted' odds?

6syh0l

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

How do the betting houses decide which odds to inflate as part of a promotion? For example the odds on Team X to win a game are 1/1, however they have shown those odds to be improved and promote it as 'NOW 4/1'.

ELI5: Betting odds! 4-1 odds. 7-4 odds. What does it mean?

6t4lbe

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

I keep seeing "Vegas Odds say" but I don't know what it means.

ELI5:If bitcoin's value is always fluctuating, does this mean goods and services are costing more and less accordingly?

6tdvhe

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

Eli5: If correlation does not imply causation, what does?

6tlngm

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

ELI5: How should I read these numbers?

6ty0xi

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

ELI5: Is it coincidence that some measures are "perfect"? Like, 1 mL of water is equal to 1 cm³ and so on. How did they match this up?

6udax3

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

null

If pi never repeats, how do mathematicians know what comes next?

6uxbpu

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

[removed]

ELI5:[Mathematics] Is there a way to determine if a system is possible but indetermined when using Cramer's rule?

6uy191

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

Edit: Should prabably have worded this as "How can I determine..." but I don't really know how to edit the tittle, so sorry about that.

ELI5: If the lotto numbers "126456" have the same probability to win as any other set of numbers, why do random integers in a random usually win instead?

6v0n6e

false

explainlikeimfive

Mathematics

I know there are many squences of integers but why is it that no squences of numbers in remotely any type of order seem to win?