Symbol Manipulation
Suppose we want to solve the differential equation
Treating these symbols as ordinary algebraic ones, and without giving any justification regarding the validity of this step, we take reciprocals of both sides:
Now we take a simple antiderivative:
Because this is a formal calculation, we can also allow ourselves to let and obtain another solution:
If we have any doubts about our argument, we can always check the final solutions to confirm that they solve the equation.
Read more about this topic: Formal Calculation, Examples
Famous quotes containing the words symbol and/or manipulation:
“Mysticism is the mistake of an accidental and individual symbol for an universal one.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The principle that human nature, in its psychological aspects, is nothing more than a product of history and given social relations removes all barriers to coercion and manipulation by the powerful.”
—Noam Chomsky (b. 1928)