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Engineering Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [mathematics]

For engineering questions involving mathematics. For pure mathematics problems, please visit our sister site Mathematics Stack Exchange.

For engineering questions involving mathematics. For pure mathematics problems, please visit our sister site Mathematics Stack Exchange.

221 questions
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How can I determine a function equation from a graph image?

How can I find out the function equations in a diagram with 5 curves? Measuring by hand is very inaccurate and takes a lot of time. Any other possibilities?
André Rodriguez
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Applications of the Laplace Transform

I have heard it said that the Laplace transform has "many applications". But the only "applications" that I ever came across are those that require one to solve either some kind of differential equation. Can you provide an application of the…
Nicolas Bourbaki
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Is the identity matrix a tensor?

If we multiply the identity matrix by any vector or a matrix, then the result is the vector or the matrix themselves (like a mirror). Tensors represent physical quantities, so if it wasn't a physical quantity then it is not a tensor. Right? What…
user27920
2
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0 answers

Complete symmetric distance matrix

Is there an intuitive way to approximate/estimate missing cells in a (symmetric) distance matrix? In this case, each unknown pair has several "neighbors" for which the distance is known.
Jasper van den Bosch
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What exactly is a proportionality?

I thought I understood what a proportionality was, but it was recently called into question. I want to make sure I fully understand how the term is generally used in the engineering world. The basic explanation of proportionality is that two…
Matt
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Can you offer real-world examples of logarithm use?

Can you offer real-world examples of logarithm use? An example of a real-world layman application of logarithms is understanding amplifier power ratings. For example a 30 watt amp is not one third as loud as 100 watt amp. It's actually 73% as the…
Randy M Zeitman
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finding the center of rotation between 2 rigid bodies

I feel a little lost. I think my problem is quite simple, but unfortunately, my knowledge of math is also simple. I have two rigid bodies that move relative to each other. I know two points of each body (see picture). How can I find the place or…
origin_in_here
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Industrial applications of vector calculus

I'll be teaching vector calculus to mechatronics engineers, and I'd like to provide them with industrially relevant examples, especially of the use of vector fields. Can anyone suggest either an example application that they have personally used or…
Michael Stachowsky
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Factoring Quadratic Equations

Given a general polynomial of the form ax^2 + bx + c = 0, we can factor it to be the product of two terms eg. (x+d)*(x-e) = 0. Why is it that we can use substitute BOTH equations as equalling zero? If one is zero then the other isn't…
cav3
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Convert Azimuth and Elevation to X & Y angles

I’m trying to control a 2 axis solar tracker using a microcontroller with an internal IMU. I can calculate sun azimuth and elevation but how do I convert them to X & Y angles that I can compare with the internal IMU X & Y values?
Jake Aston
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Euler-Bernouilli for a beam with force in the middle

A beam of length $L$ is held a $x = 0, L$. A force $F$ in the middle ($x = L/2$) pushes the beam. The Euler-Bernoulli equation can be written as such: $EI\frac{\partial^4 y(x)}{\partial x^4} = F\delta(x - L/2)$ Taking $\alpha = \frac{F}{EI}$,…
mooder
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Is pursuing a Maths degree useful in engineering

whilst this is an open ended question, and not really 'on topic' for the site, I couldn't figure anywhere better to post it than on an engineering forum! (I can delete it after I receive an answer if a moderator would like me to). I'm a high school…
LogLogLogLogx
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Could tic-mark labels on a graph have individual decimal digits with different signs?

I'm currently looking at a graph (figure 5 of Ede (1967), "Advances in Free Convection", in Hartnett and Irvine (eds.), Advances in Heat Transfer vol. 4, New York: Academic Press), in which the tic-mark labels on the vertical axis are of the form…
Daniel Hatton
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PDE's in Engineering

I am wondering if, at all, the wave equation, or the heat equation, is ever used in engineering? I think this equation is of theoretical, rather than, practical interest. For example, by solving the wave equation over a circular membrane we get all…
Nicolas Bourbaki
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Interpreting Std Deviation

So I have a set of data, units purchased per month over a 4 or 5 year period. I have about 3000 different items, but here are 2 examples of what Ive done: Item 1: Mean 24 STDEVA 18 It has purchases practically every single month of each year. Item…
marciokoko
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