Formula

For other uses, see Formula (disambiguation).
A sphere
Isobutane
On the left is a sphere, whose volume V  is given by the mathematical formula V = ⁠4/3⁠ π r3. On the right is the compound isobutane, which has chemical formula (CH3)3CH.
One of the most influential figures of computing science's founding generation, Edsger Dijkstra at the blackboard during a conference at ETH Zurich in 1994. In Dijkstra's own words, "A picture may be worth a thousand words, a formula is worth a thousand pictures."[1]

In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically, as in a mathematical formula or a chemical formula. The informal use of the term formula in science refers to the general construct of a relationship between given quantities.

The plural of formula can be either formulas (from the most common English plural noun form) or, under the influence of scientific Latin, formulae (from the original Latin).[2]

  1. ^ Dijkstra, E.W. (July 1996), A first exploration of effective reasoning [EWD896]. (E.W. Dijkstra Archive, Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin)
  2. ^ "formula". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)