4 ms·

It is a bit outdated. Its useful only on certain optimization problems that in the real world get solved with simpler methods.

• NikolaeVarius 5y ago
  In what universe is goddamn CALCULUS outdated. As long the reality consists of things changing in relation to other things, it remains modern.
  • onychomys 5y ago
    Well, it's now pretty easy to get really close to a continuous answer by using discrete steps in a computer. If you need to get the area under a curve by breaking it into a billion tiny rectangles, so what, your computer will do that calculation in a second or two. (...that being said, calculus is a lot more than just a way to calculate, it's a whole method of thinking of the world, and that's clearly not outdated quite yet)
    • nybble41 5y ago
      > If you need to get the area under a curve by breaking it into a billion tiny rectangles, so what, your computer will do that calculation in a second or two. That, too, is calculus. However, a closed-form solution will always be preferred—"a second or two" might be acceptable if you're only evaluating the function once, but it's clearly not good enough when you're applying it to a large data set. We may all be carrying around supercomputers in our pockets but we're still well short of the point where that kind of optimization wouldn't lead to a noticeable increase in both performance and (practical) functionality.