3 ms·
Because Taylor approximations can lose accuracy very quickly as you move away from the point they are centered around. There are available epidemiological mode
by CrazyStat 6y ago
Because Taylor approximations can lose accuracy very quickly as you move away from the point they are centered around.
There are available epidemiological models that are actually grounded in a scientific understanding of the problem. "Why not a cubic polynomial?" is a stupid question.
- mcnamaratw 6y ago"Why not a cubic polynomial?" taken literally is not a stupid question at all. No, it's not a contribution to understanding the problem at the professional level, but it is a fundamental and important question. Somebody persists after hearing the answer (which you gave), that might be stupid.
- dnautics 6y agoYes, and until you do the correct analysis and estimate just how bad the estimate is going to be (off by 10%? Off by 50%? An order of magnitude?) You can't just dismiss it out of hand. So how far off will it be?
- CrazyStat 6y agoThe cubic is going to go to either +infinity or -infinity, so it will eventually be of by infinity%. Or infinity orders of magnitude. I feel like I can dismiss it now.
- dnautics 6y agoThere's such thing as a convergence interval and your flippant comment betrays your ignorance.
- CrazyStat 6y agoConvergence interval doesn't help at all when you're working with a fixed finite polynomial (cubic, in this case). You don't need any flippancy to betray your ignorance, it's already clearly on display.