Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with converge

What's the next polynomial in this series?

Mapes — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 07:23:17 -0800

What's the next polynomial in this series: x⁴+2x²+16, x⁸+40x⁶+1128x⁴+2560x²+65536, ? I'm doing some work in elasticity and have found an analytical solution to a tricky problem. The solution is a converging infinite series, and I've been able to work out the first two terms (with great difficulty). It may be easier to guess the additional terms than work them out. The next polynomial almost certainly has seven terms, including x¹² and 2,176,782,336 (6¹²). Any guesses as to what the other coefficients are, and what the general pattern is?

(The sum converges because the denominators are (4+x²)^5/2, (16+x²)^9/2, ... and every other term is subtracted.)

What is the ultimate cell phone?

TheNewWazoo — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:08:29 -0800

Help me find the perfect convergence communication device (i.e. phone!) to make my nerdlife complete while I'm (endlessly) on the road. Hours upon hours of searching have turned up naught and I'm getting desperate. I'm a one-man travelling road show, and so I'm always looking to converge. I'm hooked on my BlackBerry's PIM functionality, but I need more! I have some nifty wireless BT headphones, and want to be able to play music (A2DP/AVRCP) from a removable media card while surfing the intertubes EDGE or even 3G-style wirelessly (bluetooth tethering) from my MacBook, charge it using USB, not miss my email (push or frequent pulls, no size limit please), and be able to put it in airplane mode when I need.

The Motorola Q looks like nearly exactly what I want, but it's not GSM. The iPhone? Sure, but good luck unlocking it, and it's not here yet. I've broken down enough to say that cost is no longer an issue.

I'm also open to "creative" solutions - PDA + some sort of mobile skype + bt headset + SDIO mobile data card? (Does that even exist?).

What's the word I'm trying to think of?

robbie01 — Mon, 04 Oct 2004 14:30:15 -0800

OnTheTipofMyTongueFilter: I am trying to think of this word, but I just can't place/remember it. It's keeping me up at night now, so it's off to the Green... [MI] I'm trying to think of the single word you would use to describe the instant when elements or events converge and something happens. "Convergence" is not active enough, and something like "flashpoint" is just made up. It describes the single point at which something pivotal occurs, either on its own or because other events have transpired at the perfect time to cause it. "Serendipity" isn't it, either.