# Interpretation of the Third Derivative

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interpretation-of-the-third-derivative/560076>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 9, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interpretation-of-the-third-derivative/560076 "2010-11-09T19:35:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interpretation-of-the-third-derivative/560076/21 "2010-11-11T10:07:26Z")

</div>

> [@Derleth](#):
>
> The fourth derivative has political implications: The change of jerk is called ‘inauguration’.

clapclapclapclap  
That was genius.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interpretation-of-the-third-derivative/560076/22 "2010-11-11T10:10:12Z")

</div>

> [@Chronos](#):
>
> I can believe it, but twelfth derivatives of _what_? Probably not the twelfth derivative of position with respect to time. Rather, they probably had some function (which could be almost anything) for which they had a Taylor series approximation, and they took the Taylor series out to twelve terms.

I’m going on memory here. It was the online source where I first read the terms snap, crackle and pop.  
Taylor series to 12 terms seems a lot more likely. Thanks.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interpretation-of-the-third-derivative/560076.md?page=1)