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- DictionaryIn·fin·i·tes·i·mal/ˌinˌfinəˈtes(ə)m(ə)l/
adjective
- 1. extremely small: "an infinitesimal pause"
noun
- 1. an indefinitely small quantity; a value approaching zero.
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What is infinitesimal?
What is an infinitesimal object?
What is an infinitesimal in calculus?
What is an infinitesimal number?
In common speech, an infinitesimal object is an object that is smaller than any feasible measurement, but not zero in size—or, so small that it cannot be distinguished from zero by any available means. Hence, when used as an adjective in mathematics, infinitesimal means infinitely small, smaller than any standard real number.
INFINITESIMAL meaning: 1. extremely small: 2. extremely small: 3. extremely small: . Learn more.
infinitesimal, in mathematics, a quantity less than any finite quantity yet not zero. Even though no such quantity can exist in the real number system, many early attempts to justify calculus were based on sometimes dubious reasoning about infinitesimals: derivatives were defined as ultimate ratios of infinitesimals, and integrals were ...
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
An infinitesimal is either a positive infinitesimal, a negative infinitesimal, or zero. In R R there is only one infinitesimal, zero - this is precisely the Archimedean property of R R. So while people use the word infinitesimal to convey intuition, the real numbers don't have any non-zero infinitesimals, so their explanation is flawed.
Infinitesimal. more ... A value so small we can't measure it. But not zero. Useful when we can't use zero, for example we can't divide by zero, we can use an infinitesimal value instead. Illustrated definition of Infinitesimal: A value so small we cant measure it. But not zero.
Infinitesimal definition: exceedingly small; minute. See examples of INFINITESIMAL used in a sentence.
Apr 25, 2024 · An infinitesimal is some quantity that is explicitly nonzero and yet smaller in absolute value than any real quantity. The understanding of infinitesimals was a major roadblock to the acceptance of calculus and its placement on a firm mathematical foundation.