I found the following quotes on a math site which specifically address what Grimer was pointing out to jim_mich:
Exponential functions look somewhat similar to functions you have seen before, in that they involve exponents, but there is a big difference, in that the variable is now the power, rather than the base. Previously, you have dealt with such functions as f(x) = x^2, where the variable x was the base and the number 2 was the power. In the case of exponentials, however, you will be dealing with functions such as g(x) = 2^x, where the base is the fixed number, and the power is the variable.
You may have heard of the term "exponential growth". This "starting slow, but then growing faster and faster all the time" growth is what they are referring to. Specifically, our function g(x) above doubled each time we incremented x. That is, when x was increased by 1 over what it had been, y increased to twice what it had been. This is the definition of exponential growth: that there is a consistent fixed period over which the function will double (or triple, or quadruple, etc; the point is that the change is always a fixed proportion). So if you hear somebody claiming that the world population is doubling every thirty years, you know he is claiming exponential growth.
Exponential growth is "bigger" and "faster" than polynomial growth. This means that, no matter what the degree is on a given polynomial, a given exponential function will eventually be bigger than the polynomial. Even though the exponential function may start out really, really small, it will eventually overtake the growth of the polynomial, since it doubles all the time.
http://www.purplemath.com/modules/expofcns.htm
So, jim_mich's use of "exponentially" was not correct, for it has a specific meaning to the educated.
Grimer, but that doesn't mean you are not still confused. How dare you challenge jim_mich like that?! You should know by now that our resident super genius perpetual motion machine inventor is to be treated as if he is right even when he is in the wrong! If you don't stop this, you troll, you will need to be red dotted and banned!!
...lol
;P
Don't forget. Another non-working wheel could be only days away!
