Talk:Convergence (disambiguation)

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In mathematics, "convergence" means having a (definite) limit. We don't have an article for "mathematical convergence", and I'm not sure we should (I don't see where it would differ from the existing article about limit (mathematics)). Stochastic convergence is a special case of "convergence", for a special definition of "limit".

I think this disambiguation page should mention limit (mathematics), so I added it, but I don't know the best way to mention it. It doesn't fit in well with the other points. Feel free to adjust (as always). -- Jitse Niesen 10:07, 14 July 2008 (CDT)

Thank you. Ever since my high school algebra teacher, who was also the guidance counselor, advised me to study biology and not chemistry, because abstract things like mathematics would be too hard, I have to work on mathematical phobia. Luckily, when he gave me that advice, computer science had not yet been accepted as a field, so I wasn't worried about working in it.

With some amusement, I look at several shelves of mathematics textbooks in easy reach, many on mathematical topics that Mr. Hill, my teacher and counselor, might not have recognized. Still, my mental mathematical context is certainly from my own study, rather than a formal approach to mathematics. You are quite correct that limit belongs here; I'm simply not the one best equipped to define it.

Actually, if one thinks more broadly, "synchronization" and "limit" are only a few of the terms that relate to the underlying principle of convergence. Chemical equilibrium certainly has some common ideas. In control systems theory, when a system reaches reasonably steady state, some authors describe that as convergence, but, as in routing convergence, the system is dynamic and periodically may need to reconverge.

Did I have a specific point? I'm not sure, other than you've helped me think that there are a wider range of related ideas that should, in some way, be shown to be related. Howard C. Berkowitz 10:18, 14 July 2008 (CDT)