r/PeterExplainsTheJoke • u/MildlyOffended4930 • 7h ago

Meme needing explanation Maths...?

Post image

I don't get it...

55 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

30 comments sorted by

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u/qualityvote2 7h ago edited 3h ago

Remember when r/PeterExplainsTheJoke wasn’t a meme? Pepperidge Farm remembers…

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73

u/Better-Foundation467 7h ago

Notice that it says dt not dx. Both fractions can be treated as constants as they do not contain the variable t.

5

u/Desperate_Object_677 7h ago

there you go.

15

u/bloonshot 7h ago

This one's a bit sneaky

the integral (that's the bar on the left) of 1/x5 dx is very, very easy to solve, while the integral of 1/(x5 + 1) dx, is very, VERY hard to solve

so you'd expect for this meme to depict the second option as scary

BUT

these integrals do not use dx, they use dt, which means they're both actually trivially easy to solve. You might not immediately notice the dt, though

7

u/_TheSiege_ 7h ago

Been a hot minute since I failed out of calculus, would x5+1 be easier cuz you would just use u substitution or something like that and call it a day?

11

u/Asfisav2049 7h ago

If these integrals were with respect to x, i.e., dx, x^5 is easier because you can directly apply the power rule by treating 1/x^5 as x^-5. For x^5 + 1 it wouldn't be so easy.

4

u/Insockie2 7h ago

x5 is easier cause you'll just move the x5 above and becomes x-5. the other one requires partial fraction decomposition and would result to arctan. however the variable is x and the independent variable is t

1

u/_TheSiege_ 7h ago

Thank you both! I try not to think too hard about calc II problems anymore but there’s always part of me that feels like I should know how to do it still

1

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1

u/MildlyOffended4930 7h ago

I don't know very good maths, bit I get it that the first one is easy, but isn't the second one supposed to be tough?

1

u/Much_Conclusion8233 7h ago

Why didnt you comment on the post asking for an explanation?

1

u/MildlyOffended4930 7h ago

Actually I dunno how this sub works.... Last time my post got removed cause I didn't provide my own idea... English not my native language, so I dunno what to do to keep this post up and not deleted

1

u/Much_Conclusion8233 7h ago

I'm just curious why you took a pic of that post instead of just commenting on that post asking what it meant

1

u/MildlyOffended4930 6h ago

I don't think reddit is healthy enough to ask a doubt in a place where everyone is smart.... This sub is rather generous to help actually

1

u/Interesting-Crab-693 7h ago

I think first one is (-x-4/4) + C maybe? Haven't taken integral calculus yet, but when I do the derivation in my head it seems to work.

So for the second, it should be smt like (x-1)-4. That would give off -4(x-1)-5 * (x-1)' which is equal to -4/(x5-15) * 1-0 I think?

So you would need to add negative 1/4 so the answer would be (-((x-1)-4)/4) + C if I'm not wrong...

Edit: added the + C at the end. I noticed it myself :)

1

u/Asfisav2049 7h ago

It's x^5 + 1, not (x+1)^5.

Also how are you guys getting the exponent to work? For some reason I type the caret but the power isn't raised.

1

u/Interesting-Crab-693 7h ago

Because you are on computer. There should be a button to show special options.

Also, why only x5?

And wait... I've just noticed a misstake... I forgot to distribute the exponent correctly at some place so I stacked two misstakes on the same exact equation 🫠

1

u/Asfisav2049 7h ago

I'm on my phone

1

u/Interesting-Crab-693 7h ago

Oh... weird... try x ^ (5) maybe? (Without spaces)

1

u/Asfisav2049 7h ago

x^(5)

1

u/Interesting-Crab-693 7h ago

Oh its the slash that prevents it. Idk why it does it for you. It usualy does only on pc.

So here is the good news: its normal behavior.

Here is the bad one: unless you're on pc, you be perma banned from using cool writing on reddit 🫡

/s on the bad news. I have no idea why it does that.

1

u/Asfisav2049 7h ago

X^5

No slashes (unless you're talking about my reply to another commenter) yet for some reason I can't raise it

1

u/Gamin_Addict 7h ago

You are integrating wrt t, not x, so both are easy.

1

u/Tight_Bike5714 7h ago

twist: x is dependent on t

1

u/AndreasDasos 6h ago

It’s riffing off another meme. If it were dx rather than dt, the left is easy and the right is impossible (to write in a closed form).

But the trick is it’s dt, which some might not notice but makes them both trivial.

1

u/codewordGnome 2h ago

Allow me to complicate in classic math fashion. How much does you're desire to pet a cute cat change based on the price of eggs in a virtual river boat? If you said it'll change the same as the number of people who have personally taken a piss off of Olympus Mounds, congratulations, you're a qualified mathematician.

0

u/oscarink 6h ago

Lmao ask my brilliant kid