In calculus, both infinitesimals and limits are used to study the behavior of functions and solve problems.
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Infinitesimals refer to infinitely small quantities. The idea behind infinitesimals is that you can imagine breaking up a function into an infinite number of tiny pieces, each of which is so small that it can be treated as zero. This allows you to perform calculations with these quantities, just like you would with regular numbers. However, the concept of infinitesimals was not rigorously defined until much later in the development of calculus.
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Limits, on the other hand, are a more formal and precise approach to studying functions. A limit is the value that a function approaches as its input (x-value) gets closer and closer to a certain value. For example, if you take the limit of a function as x approaches 2, you are finding the value that the function approaches as x gets closer and closer to 2.
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The main difference between infinitesimals and limits is in their level of rigor and formality. Infinitesimals were originally used as a way of thinking about calculus problems, but were not well-defined mathematically until later. Limits, on the other hand, provide a more rigorous and formal approach to calculus that is widely accepted in modern mathematics.
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In summary, both infinitesimals and limits can be used to solve calculus problems, but limits provide a more rigorous and widely accepted approach.
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