|
In mathematics, an equation is a formula of the form A = B, where A and B are expressions that may contain one or several variables called unknowns, and "=" denotes the equality binary relation. Although written in the form of proposition, an equation is not a statement that is either true or false, but a problem consisting of finding the values, called solutions, that, when substituted for the unknowns, yield equal values of the expressions A and B. For example, 2 is the unique solution of the equation x + 2 = 4, in which the unknown is x.[1] Historically, equations arose from the mathematical discipline of algebra, but later become ubiquitous. "Equations" should not be confused with "identities", which are presented with the same notation but have a different meaning: for example 2 + 2 = 4 and x + y = y + x are identities (which implies they are necessarily true) in arithmetic, and do not constitute a values-finding problem, even when variables are present as in the latter example. The term "equation" may also refer to a relation between some variables that is presented as the equality of some expressions written in terms of those variables' values. For example the equation of the unit circle is x2 + y2 = 1, which means that a point belongs to the circle if and only if its coordinates are related by this equation. Most physical laws are expressed by equations. One of the most famous ones is Einstein's equation E = mc2. The = symbol was invented by Robert Recorde (1510–1558), who considered that nothing could be more equal than parallel straight lines with the same length. |
About us|Jobs|Help|Disclaimer|Advertising services|Contact us|Sign in|Website map|Search|
GMT+8, 2015-9-11 21:59 , Processed in 0.153209 second(s), 16 queries .
