Definition:Approximation

Definition

An approximation is an estimate of a quantity.

It is usually the case that there exists some knowledge about the accuracy of the estimate.

The notation:

$a \approx b$

indicates that $b$ is an approximation to $a$.

Examples

$\dfrac {22} 7$ as an Approximation for Pi

$\dfrac {22} 7$ is a convenient approximation to $\pi$:

$\dfrac {22} 7 = 3 \cdotp \dot 14285 \dot 7$

Also see

• Results about approximations can be found here.

Sources

• 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Entry: approximation theory
• 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Entry: approximation theory