Editing Talk:599: Apocalypse

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I got [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/356:_Nerd_Sniping nerd sniped] trying to figure out what the summation in panel 5 (<big>∑</big><sup>n</sup><sub>i=0</sub>i<sup>k</sup>1/i) is supposed to be. It turns out the first term (where i = 0) comes out to 0<sup>k</sup>/0, which is undefined for all k. It follows that the sum itself is only defined when n < 0, i.e. when it's an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empty_sum empty sum]. However, if we cancel the 1/i with a factor of i, we get <big>∑</big><sup>n</sup><sub>i=0</sub>i<sup>k-1</sup>, which is defined when n < 0 or k ≥ 1. Here's an [https://www.desmos.com/calculator/ayacpkgqd3 interactive version] I made in Desmos. [[User:Hhhguir|Hhhguir]] ([[User talk:Hhhguir|talk]]) 23:47, 3 March 2022 (UTC)
 
I got [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/356:_Nerd_Sniping nerd sniped] trying to figure out what the summation in panel 5 (<big>∑</big><sup>n</sup><sub>i=0</sub>i<sup>k</sup>1/i) is supposed to be. It turns out the first term (where i = 0) comes out to 0<sup>k</sup>/0, which is undefined for all k. It follows that the sum itself is only defined when n < 0, i.e. when it's an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empty_sum empty sum]. However, if we cancel the 1/i with a factor of i, we get <big>∑</big><sup>n</sup><sub>i=0</sub>i<sup>k-1</sup>, which is defined when n < 0 or k ≥ 1. Here's an [https://www.desmos.com/calculator/ayacpkgqd3 interactive version] I made in Desmos. [[User:Hhhguir|Hhhguir]] ([[User talk:Hhhguir|talk]]) 23:47, 3 March 2022 (UTC)
 
What's funny to me about the combined Erdős–Bacon numbers are that because Kevin Bacon is still alive, it's much easier to have a low Bacon number than a low Erdős number. There are a number of scientists that are well-known enough to have appeared as cameos on TV shows and movies that have given them lower Bacon numbers than Erdős numbers. Some actors have Erdős numbers but {{w|Erdős–Bacon_number|the Wikipedia page}} doesn't list any with a lower Erdős number than Bacon number (though surely there are at least some). I don't think any of my professors had particularly low Erdős numbers so even if I had gotten one of my papers published in undergrad, I wouldn't have gotten a decent one. But if I go to grad school and get back into acting then maybe someday I could at least have a defined Erdős–Bacon number. [[User:Brycemw|Brycemw]] ([[User talk:Brycemw|talk]]) 14:47, 26 April 2024 (UTC)
 

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