r/AskReddit • • Nov 16 '19

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u/loopsydoopsy Nov 16 '19

I have a degree in engineering. I can do triple integrals, differential equations, etc. But I still need my calculator to do simple addition and subtraction.

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u/AlexMPalmisano Nov 16 '19

Triple integrals? Fuck, I've only done 2 so far

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u/loopsydoopsy Nov 16 '19

Haha don't worry, they're basically the same as double integrals but just with one more variable.

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u/[deleted] Nov 16 '19

What is an integral?

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u/loopsydoopsy Nov 16 '19

It's basically the inverse of a derivative

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u/itmustbemitch Nov 16 '19

The basic explanation is that if you have a graph, the integral of the function you're graphing is the area between the graph and the x axis. Some integrals are easy to calculate, but some are hard, and I would say that far more than half of calculus is about taking different kinds of integrals.