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1、Chapter2ExponentialgrowthHowsomethingsrockettoanincrediblesizeeventhoughtheirgrowthmaybehardtoobserveinitsinitialsteps.TherichcanonofhumorousprosebyMarkTwainincludesasatireofthemagnanimous-incident"anecdotesoftheVictorianage,inwhichtheauthorclaimstohaveinvestigatedthetruesequelofseveralsuchstories.
2、Astraypoodlewithabrokenlegthat,afterhavingbeenhealedbyabenevolentphysician,showsupgratefullythenextdayinthecompanyofanotherstraydogrequiringacutelimbtreatment,istheseedofalogicalchainofeventsinwhichthenumberofdogswaitinginfrontofthephysiciansdoordoubleseverydaytobecomefour,eight,etc.,inspiringnewsen
3、timentsinthephysician'smind:Thisdayalsopassed,andanothermorningcame;andnowsixteendogs,eightofthemnewlycrippled,occupiedthesidewalk,andthepeopleweregoingaround.Bynoonthebrokenlegswereallset,butthepiouswonderinthegoodphysician'sbreastwasbeginningtogetmixedwithinvoluntaryprofanity.Thesunroseoncemore,an
4、dexhibitedthirty-twodogs,sixteenofthemwithbrokenlegs,occupyingthesidewalkandhalfofthestreet;thehumanspectatorstookuptherestoftheroom.Thecriesofthewounded,thesongsofthehealedbrutes,andthecommentsoftheonlookingcitizensmadegreatandinspiringcheer,buttracwasinterruptedinthatstreet.Thegoodphysicianhireda
5、coupleofassistantsurgeonsandgotthroughhisbenevolentworkbeforedark, rsttakingtheprecautiontocancelhischurch-membership,sothathemightexpresshimselfwiththelatitudewhichthecaserequired.Butsomethingshavetheirlimits.Whenoncemorethemorningdawned,andthegoodphysicianlookedoutuponamassedandfar-reachingmultitu
6、deofclamorousandbeseechingdogs.......1....herealizedthatthethinghadgonealongfarenough,setouttoresolve1MarkTwain,TheGratefulPoodle,inAboutMagnanimous-IncidentLiterature.9©2012byTaylor&FrancisGroup,LLC10MathematicalandAlgorithmicFoundationsoftheInternetitwithashotgun,gotbittenbytheoriginalpoodle,andpa
7、ssedawayinthehorrendousconvulsionsofhydrophobia.Theevolutionofthesetofdogsfollowsanexponentialgrowthinthegenuine(i.e.,strictlymathematical)senseofthephrase.Theexpressionhasbecomequitepopularineveryday
