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ELI5: Why do standardized tests each have unique and seemingly arbitrary score ranges? (e.g. SAT 400-1600, ACT 1 to 36, LSAT 120-180, MCAT 472 to 528, USMLE Step 1 1-300) | 6zqf6b | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [deleted] |
ELI5: How is it that every time i try to plug in something USB, it's backwards? Shouldn't it be 50/50? | 6zwpk0 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: Computer division by 0 | 7077vl | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | I'm a computer science major, and I know that our computer systems/compilers have built in tests to ensure we don't actually divide by zero, but on the CPU level what would a computer do when presented with a division by 0? |
ELI5: If you were to stack blocks on top of each other into a tower, but each subsequent block is half the size of the preceding block below it, will the tower eventually stop growing? | 70fg7g | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: What is the difference between an irrational number and a transcendental number? | 70hu2k | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | null |
Should birthdays be adjusted for leap years? Or am i over complicating? | 70i06o | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: Why won't the year 2100 be a leap year? | 70khwf | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: How does math work and how was it created? | 70s6v7 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [deleted] |
ELI5: I understand why 0! = 1 and why 0 * 1 obviously doesn't equal 1, but how do we actually know there is only 1 zero after having accepted zero as a number? | 70wpfz | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | Zero meaning the value that is in between the all of the negative and positive integers, not an empty set, or rather as the smallest non-negative integer. There are no natural numbers before it but does that automatically mean there is only one representation of 0? I understand that: x + 2 = 2, x = 0 x + 2 = 2 and x + 3 = 2, x = {empty set} which isn't the same thing Also of course, 0 * 0 = 0, 0 + 0 = 0 By the rules of significant figures, 000000 = 0 0 is also used to denote the lack of magnitude for a certain digit: 101 (in base 10) = 1x10^2 + 0x10^1 + 1x10^0 = 100 + 0 + 1 0! is a little bit more complicated in the sense that one can argue that there is only 1 way to arrange 0 things, or from the pattern below: 3! = 4!/4, = 6 2! = 3!/3, = 2 1! = 2!/2 = 1 0! = 1!/1 = 1 This all makes sense but how do we know there is only 1 representation of 0, rather than an infinite number or zero 0's? Since infinity - infinity is undefined and not equal to 0, how can we prove that 0 is actually the in the middle of all negative and positive integers and there is only one of it? In other words, knowing that infinity is not a number itself, just like an empty set is not a number and accepting zero as a number itself, how do we know there is only one of it like the rest of the integers? Is it simply by definition or is there a concept that I am missing? |
ELI5: The inter-universal teichmuller theory | 711ftb | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | null |
ELI5: How is an infinitely small positive number not real? | 71d2rg | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | If we had a measuring tool with infinite precision, we could learn exactly how far away 0.999... is from 1. We could have this value recorded and be certain about exactly how big it is. Disregarding contemporary practicality, what's not real about the value of an infinitely small number? |
ELI5: How many planes, vertices, edges and faces does a sphere have? | 71dkvf | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | null |
ELI5: The Kelly Criterion. | 71jqcu | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_criterion I understand the basic concept, that the Kelly Criterion tells you what the optimal wager is in a series of bets. But even though I come from a pretty strong statistics background, the logic behind it loses me pretty quickly. Can someone try to explain it in layman's terms? |
ELI5: Why does my weiner get pointy when I look at my dog and cat? | 71n497 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: in calculus, what does "With Respect To" mean? | 71s50y | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | For some reason this is not clicking for me. I've been listening to Sal Khan and various other resources on the web, but by the end of it I sit here dumbfounded. Currently analyzing: x^3 + y^3 = 6xy. but I am unable to understand why: d/dx( y^3 ) = 3y^2 * dy/dx. Thanks for everyone who helps out! |
ELI5: Did calendars have an impact on math? | 71wvqe | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [deleted] |
ELI5: markov chain monte carlo | 71znhi | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: Nash Bargaining Solution? | 729c7v | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | Idk the difference betwen Nash bargaining solution and the nash equilibrium and which one came first, thanks guys! |
ELI5: There are zeroes in PI but when a decimal reaches a 0 doesn't that mean it should terminate there? | 72o7xe | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [deleted] |
ELI5: if the digits of Pi are not random, why are all the digits distributed so evenly? | 72oeoo | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | This is a follow up to the graphic that was recently posted showing the distribution percentage of each digit at approximately 10%. Wouldn’t this indicate that Pi is random? |
ELI5: What exactly is the dot product? | 72onqi | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [deleted] |
Pi? | 72pd4i | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: If i rate something zero out of zero, is it a good rating or not? | 72udr7 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
Eli5- How are scientists able to "visualize" far away objects in space using only mathematical equations | 73b279 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | null |
ELI5: Why is KiloByte not 1000 bytes? | 73gqah | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | a Kilobit == 1000 bits however, a kilobyte == 1024 bytes I know that 8bits == 1 byte, but i dont see how that affects that a kilobyte is 1024 bytes. |
ELI5: How do mathematicians figure out absurd odds? | 73hf8k | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | How do mathematicians figure out absurd odds, such as the chances of being hit my lighting are 1 in x? |
ELI5:If you compared how old every developed country on Earth was relative to an average human being, how old would the United States be? | 5rnqf1 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [deleted] |
ELI5: What is a Riemann Surface and why is it significant? | 5rrzms | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | I came across this article and assumed Riemann Surfaces must have serious implications if she won the Fields Medal for her work on them. I tried to read about them but it was like a foreign language. I literally couldn't understand anything about them or why they are significant. |
ELI5: In statistics, what is a "lag" | 5sf0rc | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | I often read of the term "seasonal lag" or in the equation: y* t * = x* t θ + e t * | t = 1, 2, ..., T. Often x contains lags of y* t * |
ELI5: If a line keeps moving to it's destination but moves progressively slower up to the point where it appears to have stopped and thus never reaching it's destination (explained it better inside). | 5sgkqe | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | ELI5: If a line keeps moving to it's destination but moves progressively slower up to the point where it appears to have stopped and thus never reaching it's destination because numbers even in decimals can be infinite, so how can it be infinite and never reach it's destination if the space between the line and it's destination is finite. Pretty much explained it in the title, but for example if the line is 5cm away from its destination and movings at a distance of 0,000000000000000001cm per second and getting slower would it even hit it's destination or be an infinite number in that finite 5cm space? edit: reddit wanted me to flair this question so I set it to mathematics, hope it was the right area. |
ELI5: How does Math describe Nature so well ? | 5sgnao | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | I'm studying physics at the moment and am astonished at how beautifully interconnected all the equations are and how it all makes sense. How does math describe physics and all other sciences so well? |
ELI5:What is the bbp algorithm and how does it work ? | 5swm4u | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | How is it even possible to compute the nth digit of the pi without computing the digits to the left of it ? |
Is Monopoly random? | 5t7qlv | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | I heard somewhere that some spots are landed on more often than others. Is that true? If so, how is that possible if rolling the dice is random every time? Thanks in advance. |
ELI5: What are the Odds? (Compounding Percentage) | 5tv4ui | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | Okay, so I was playing a game, and I got something with a 1% chance to happen to occur three times in a row! I was pretty excited about this, and wanted to calculate the odds in percent form. But for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to figure it. So my question is, how do I compound multiple chances into one round percent? |
ELI5:How do you apply the 9 rules of inference in logic? | 5twf0h | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | My professor is going way too fast in my intro to logic class, and I'm lost. I know the rules, but I don't know the point of knowing them or how to apply them. |
ELI5: With Donald Trump's surprising presidential win, I still question, how is 1,500 responses enough for a poll? | 5u8fpn | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: How many 16 sq ft solar panels could fit in one square mile? | 5urovp | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: What's the idea beyond dual space, bidual space and reflexivity theorem? | 5uyl9h | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | I'm actually studying an undergraduate in mathematics and I can't understand clearly the ideas beyond the dual space, the bidual space and the reflexivity theorem. |
ELI5: Hughes Phenomenon | 5v7o8n | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | I am writing a paper on Hyperspectral Imaging and Hughes Phenomenon is an important limiting factor in small data sets. It has many associated terms like "peaking paradox" and "curse of dimensionality" and I just need a clear way to understand this... thank you. |
ELI5: What are the different options for Mathematics in the South Australian Matriculation (SAM)? | 5vb781 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | I understand there are three options which are Application, Method, and Specialist. What are the differences though, and what do they cover? I am currently doing my Cambridge IGCSEs and doing Mathematics but not Additional Mathematics, which would you recommend me to take then? |
ELI5: Why does it take "6-10 weeks" for me to get the first issue of a magazine subscription? | 5viz2c | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: Why do countdowns sometimes count only from 25 between each second? | 5vjyx8 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: How does (1/2)! = (√π/2) | 5vv5x3 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | How are you able to derive PI from 1/2 factorial? |
ELI5: What is the significance of Pi (3.14) in real life applications? | 5vv6bg | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | null |
ELI5: Isaac Newton and Gottfried Liebniz developed the idea of Calculus in the 17th century completely independent of one another. What were the driving forces behind each of their conclusions? Was it begging to be "discovered" at that exact time, or just a crazy coincidence? | 5vw6w6 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | null |
ELI5: Is 20 as an estimate of 15 more accurate than 10 as an estimate of 15? | 5w19d8 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | null |
ELI5 Who has more probability of winning and why? Friend: Buys 10 lottery tickets every month for a year. Me: I buy 120 lottery in one month. | 5wbgti | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: How does one optimize a hypercube's quality such as volume or surface area or other dimensions? | 5wh807 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | null |
ELI5: Is it possible that there exists a person who, over their entire life, voted in every election but never saw the results they voted for? | 4vnqr6 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: How do Arithmetic, Geometric, and Harmonic Means apply in real life? | 4w1h11 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | What are the perks of using one instead of the other? In what situations do I use which one? |
ELI5: If you dice a few times, do the previous numbers you got affect the next one? | 4w40ep | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5:How do the poll surveys with just 1000 people give the picture for the entire population | 4w88iu | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | As it is the election year we keep seeing the surveys and polls by various news organizations and others, which are conducted on just 1000-1500 people to give a picture for the entire population. How do they work? |
ELI5: How can the set of rational numbers be proved to be countably infinite? | 4wa4xt | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | In a Numberphile video, they explain that if you write out all the (positive) rational numbers like this: 1/1 | 1/2 | 1/3 | 1/4 | ... 2/1 | 2/2 | 2/3 | 2/4 | ... 3/1 | 3/2 | 3/3 | 3/4 | ... 4/1 | 4/2 | 4/3 | 4/4 | ... ... | ... | ... | ... | ... and attempt to list them row by row, you won't be able to finish. However, if you attempt to list them by diagonals, you will be able to finish (after an infinite amount of time, but it is "theoretically" possible). How can this be true? Attempting to list every rational number row by row would indicate that the set is uncountabley infinite, yet diagonally the indication is that they are countably infinite. How can a set be 2 different sized infinities at the same time? |
ELI5: mortgage intrest | 4wa9fy | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: Can someone explain the math of drawing perfect ellipses within a concentric circle? | 4wddvs | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | I just saw this gif and was trying to figure out how it works - is it due to the innermost concentric circles? https://media.giphy.com/media/26BRNkK6iP8OQBBcI/giphy.gif |
ELI5:Is there actually any credibility/proof to multiverse theory? What is it? | 4wemt4 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: Why does the Collatz Conjecture seem so important to mathematicians? | 4x5pen | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | null |
ELI5: how does something get over 100% | 4x5qtp | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | for ex: profits increased by 200% |
ELI5: Planck length, Planck Time? | 4xjx9v | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [deleted] |
ELI5:HELP ME SOLVE THIS I'M STUMPED | 4xkg0n | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: Terrence Howard's "proof" of 1x1=2 | 4xwmjk | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | null |
ELI5: Why aren't percentages directly proportional? | 4xwr88 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | This may sound dumb, but i was calculating some game mechanics for evasion. Alright, so think of an ability that each rank gives you 5% evasion. You'd think that each investment would give more or less the same result right, given the fact that it is additive? But it's not like that, if you have 10 ranks in this ability you have spent 10 points in this ability to get 50% evasion which means 1 in every 2 hits will miss you. Now having spent that, you spend an additional 5 points, giving you 75% evasion, which means 1 in 4 hits will hit you. You spend half the points, but you get almost double the efficacy. Now the person spends an additional 4 points, giving you 95% evasion, which means 1 in 20 hits will hit you. So you spend 1 point less, but you get 5 times as much efficacy as the first time. What gives? I feel like i'm missing something extremely simple here. I get that the closer you reach 0, the bigger you result should be, but i always felt like it should be the equivalent of the amount you spent. Also, if i want to make it mathematically equivalent, how would i go about doing that? I mean the points depending on how efficient it is. |
ELI5: why did the price of gold and silver skyrocket in July 2011 and March 2011 respectively? | 4xxfuk | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | null |
ELI5: Why is Blackjack the only mathematically beatable game in casino? | 4y9gz3 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | null |
ELI5: Expecting some statistics confusion 😉 | 4ydcwy | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | ELI5: I am confused about statistics. Given a stat like the likelihood of being pregnant, why can I use the fundamental counting principle to multiply the negative outcome probability, but not the positive outcome? For example, a woman has a 20% chance of being pregnant in any given cycle and an 80% chance of not being pregnant. I can multiply the 0.80^12, and get an approximately 7% chance of not being pregnant after a year. This lines up fairly nicely with real statistics on the number of women who are pregnant after one year of trying. This obviously doesn't work for 0.20^12. Why? And is this like this for all statistics? |
ELI5:The Navier- Stokes equation and existence of smooth solution | 4yjd98 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | Why is it so hard to solve it? Why is there a million dollar price for proving it has a smooth solution? Is there any practical use of these equations? Where is it used ? why is it used? What does it predict ? |
ELI5: Why do math formulas often use square roots and exponents in the same formula? | 4yniqu | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | For example: http://ncalculators.com/images/formulas/distance-between-two-points-formula.jpg What's the point of squaring a number and then taking the square root of it? Or vice versa, for that matter? |
ELI5: The Significane of "R" and P" Values in Statistics | 4yw8ol | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [deleted] |
ELI5: What is the spectral norm of a matrix? | 4z1c8w | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | null |
ELI5: Weierstass-Balzano theorem | 4zbx88 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | null |
[ELI5] The Mandelbrot Set. | 4zf3a9 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | Why does it form these shapes also, why should it be < 2 & >-2. Thanks in advance. |
ELI5: What are the most prestigious prizes available for mathematicians older than 40 ? | 4zghhr | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: (from a xkcd What If) What is the derivative of ln(x)^e dx ? | 4zhw2s | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: Why do (x)-dimensional objects cast (x-1)-dimensional shadows? | 4zmvpd | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | null |
ELI5: how big is a cubic mile? Can you give me a sense of scale of how many whatever's would fit inside one? | 4zy3z9 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | I was reading about the Krakatoa eruption and am trying to wrap my head around the amount of material that was thrown up into the atmosphere but that bad boy (50 cubic miles worth of earth) |
ELI5: How to solve a Rubix's cube | 4zyuu2 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: What is the axiom of choice and how does it work? | 502gsc | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | Please explain clearly and simply (This is ELI5 after all :p) :) |
ELI5: Why don't multiple instances of 50/50's have a 50% chance to be evenly split? | 50aesr | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5 How do random number generators work? | 50bl2r | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | Sorry if this isnt the right sub |
ELI5: What is dispersion in probability theory? | 50e21r | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | Hello all, I'm currently studying for exam in probability and statistics but can't really picture what dispersion is, unlike expectation which is pretty intuitive. Is there some stupid way to explain it? |
ELI5: What is a "mathematical model"? | 50h5f7 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | What are they, and what are they useful for? If you can include examples with your explanation for easier understanding that'd be great! |
ELI5: What is the point of squared correlation? | 740j60 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [deleted] |
ELI5: Why are the centuries referred to as 1 century later than their actual date (Ex; 21st century is the 2000s)? | 758cio | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: Why are we unable to find out all possible combinations of chess games? | 75jwec | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | null |
ELI5: What are the references being used to describe higher dimensions in Maths and Physics? | 75ld0l | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | I'm really hoping there are people out there who can help me to grasp this in a more tangible way. As the title suggests; I'm looking for an accessible (i.e linguistic, not mathematic - if at all possible) explanation of what exactly is being referred to when talking about higher dimensions. Such as, in the article that prompted me to realize I have no idea what's going on: New Scientist – The brain’s 7D sandcastles I, kind of, understand abstractly that a dimension is defined by its measurement, or ability to be measured in some fashion. But my intuition really only extends this understanding to 4 dimensions (Space: X,Y,Z and Time). What I'm really struggling to wrap my head around is: What (if that's even applicable) is/are the measurements, or things being measured that are defining dimensions beyond the 4th, 5th, 6th and so on? |
ELI5: Binomial Heap | 76ta9y | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [deleted] |
ELI5: What percent of solitaire games are winnable? | 77zjys | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5:The concept of bases other then base 10. I can't seem to wrap my mind on how things other then base 10 work. | 781kxj | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: convolutional neural network | 78gn9i | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [deleted] |
If I play an 11 track album on my iPhone on shuffle, what are the chances of it actually playing in the correct order? | 78hdap | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5 Ones' Complement | 797n2b | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [deleted] |
ELI5: How can there be statements that can be neither proven nor disproven, moreover provably so? | 79cvy9 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: Since there are infinite numbers between two consecutive integers, how are we able to fit these infinite numbers between, for instance, 1 second of time? | 79he9a | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: is there a difference in probability between being the one chosen out of 100 people, and being the last picked out of 100 people? | 79kt9q | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: How are obscure and complex probabilities determined? For example, what are the chances of running into a friend on a random street in a tiny remote town without knowing the other person was there or planning to travel there? | 79vvgv | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: If a test for prostate cancer has 75% false positives, would it be more accurate to just flip a coin? | 7usnv4 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [removed] |
ELI5: Why does a double pendulum motion create such a sporadic, random pattern? | 7va0gy | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | I saw this gif post on Reddit today and it made me think what the logic was behind the pattern the second pendulum made. Sorry if this is more physics than maths couldn't decide on the flair. |
ELI5: What is the real world significance/ benefit of calculus? | 7w0r13 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | I stink at math and would like to understand! |
ELI5: The difference between "1 in 2" people, "50% of people" and a person being "50% likely" of something | 7w11d1 | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | [deleted] |
ELI5: Difference between exponential function and exponential with unit step function? | 7w41ls | false | explainlikeimfive | Mathematics | I have a control systems test and I really need a clarification on this because have same Laplace transform Basically this |