Difference between revisions of "Formula (mathematics)"
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== See also == | == See also == | ||
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* [[Expression (mathematics)]] | * [[Expression (mathematics)]] | ||
* [[Formula]] | * [[Formula]] | ||
Revision as of 19:02, 29 February 2016
In mathematics, a formula is an entity constructed using the symbols and formation rules of a given logical language.
Example
For example, determining the volume of a sphere requires a significant amount of integral calculus or its geometrical analogue, the method of exhaustion
Having done this once in terms of some parameter (the radius for example), mathematicians have produced a formula to describe the volume.
This particular formula is:
V = 4 / 3 π r3
Having obtained this result, and knowing the radius of any sphere in question, we can quickly and easily determine its volume. Note that the volume V and the radius r are expressed as single letters instead of words or phrases. This convention, while less important in a relatively simple formula, means that mathematicians can more quickly manipulate larger and more complex formulas.
Mathematical formulas are often algebraic, closed form, and/or analytical.
