11 lines
2.4 KiB
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11 lines
2.4 KiB
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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><title>to a first approximation</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="../../jargon.css" type="text/css"/><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.61.0"/><link rel="home" href="../index.html" title="The Jargon File"/><link rel="up" href="../T.html" title="T"/><link rel="previous" href="TMTOWTDI.html" title="TMTOWTDI"/><link rel="next" href="to-a-zeroth-approximation.html" title="to a zeroth approximation"/></head><body><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">to a first approximation</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="TMTOWTDI.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">T</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="to-a-zeroth-approximation.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr/></div><dt><a id="to-a-first-approximation"/><dt xmlns="" id="to-a-first-approximation"><b>to a first approximation</b>: <span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="grammar">adj.</span></dt></dt><dd><p> 1. [techspeak] When one is doing certain numerical computations, an
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approximate solution may be computed by any of several heuristic methods,
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then refined to a final value. By using the starting point of a first
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approximation of the answer, one can write an algorithm that converges more
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quickly to the correct result. </p></dd><dd><p> 2. In jargon, a preface to any comment that indicates that the
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comment is only approximately true. The remark “<span class="quote">To a first
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approximation, I feel good</span>” might indicate that deeper questioning
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would reveal that not all is perfect (e.g., a nagging cough still remains
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after an illness).</p></dd><div class="navfooter"><hr/><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="TMTOWTDI.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="../T.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="to-a-zeroth-approximation.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">TMTOWTDI </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="../index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> to a zeroth approximation</td></tr></table></div></body></html>
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