bad approximation

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "bad approximation" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the accuracy or quality of an estimate or calculation that is not close to the actual value. Example: "The model provided a bad approximation of the actual results, leading to significant errors in the final analysis."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

It's not such a bad approximation.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

This isn't a smooth, frictionless process in the real world, but it's probably not a bad approximation for how things work.Now, in order for the marginal resident to be indifferent between high-wage San Jose and low-wage Phoenix, the cost of living must be very different in the two places.

The Economist

The large impulsive noise leads to a bad approximation of ŝ whose energy leaks out of the third-level subband.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

However, strict electron confinement to a quantum wire or an interface is apparently a bad approximation in most cases and makes only sense for the subset of low lying energy states in deep quantum well structures.

Nanoscale Research Letters

The reason is that for strong heat sources the Boussinesq approximation is a bad approximation since the higher order terms in the asymptotics are not of higher order but of the same order as the leading order terms.

Journal of Mathematics in Industry

Spreading simulations based on the CMB representation (see Additional file 1) have an intermediate performance but still provide a rather bad approximation of the spreading patterns obtained from the heterogeneous contact network (HET) and from the CMD representation, which do include more information about the statistical heterogeneity of contact durations.

BMC Infectious Diseases

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

While one can suppose that more assertions lead to more accurate predictions, the computational effort involved in inference may be so large as to generate bad approximations.

Journal of the Brazilian Computer Society

However, the second surprise is that this approximated potential is nevertheless far from the Ising model or any of the models discussed above, which appear as quite bad approximations.

The Journal of Mathematical Neuroscience

We will demonstrate by some numerical examples in Section 5 that the penalty approach of an additional dielectric medium with a high relative permittivity gives bad approximations of the floating potential in general.

Journal of Mathematics in Industry

But they're bad approximations.

Huffington Post

The latter type of methods do not take into account the discreteness of the molecule numbers and are known to provide bad approximations in the case of small populations as considered here [ 53].

BMC Systems Biology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "bad approximation", clarify why the approximation is inadequate and what consequences might arise from relying on it.

Common error

Avoid using "bad approximation" when a more nuanced description of the inaccuracy is possible. Instead of simply labeling it as bad, specify the type of error or the degree of deviation from the actual value.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "bad approximation" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "bad" modifies the noun "approximation". It describes the quality of an approximation, indicating its level of inaccuracy. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

30%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "bad approximation" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe an estimate or model that is significantly inaccurate. As Ludwig AI states, it's suitable for written English. While not exceedingly common, it appears across various domains, including science, news, and academia. When employing this phrase, consider clarifying the specific reasons for the inadequacy of the approximation. Related phrases, such as "poor estimate" or "inaccurate assessment", can offer more nuanced descriptions depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

poor estimate

Replaces "approximation" with "estimate", implying a lack of accuracy in the estimation.

inaccurate assessment

Substitutes "approximation" with "assessment", suggesting the evaluation is not precise.

rough guess

Replaces "approximation" with "guess", conveying a higher degree of uncertainty.

flawed model

Uses "model" instead of "approximation", implying the representation contains significant errors.

incorrect calculation

Focuses on the computational aspect, indicating the result is mathematically wrong.

unreliable prediction

Emphasizes the predictive aspect, implying the forecast is not dependable.

misleading representation

Highlights the potential for deception, suggesting the depiction is inaccurate and confusing.

faulty estimation

Highlights the errors in the estimation process.

deficient model

Highlights the lack of something essential for completeness.

crude approximation

Highlights the lack of precision in the process.

FAQs

How can I use "bad approximation" in a sentence?

You can use "bad approximation" to describe a model, calculation, or estimate that is significantly inaccurate. For example, "The initial model was a "bad approximation" of the real-world data, requiring significant revisions."

What are some alternatives to saying "bad approximation"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "poor estimate", "inaccurate assessment", or "rough guess" to express a similar idea.

Is it better to say "poor approximation" or "bad approximation"?

Both "bad approximation" and "poor approximation" are grammatically correct, and their suitability depends on the desired tone. "Bad" suggests a more severe level of inaccuracy than "poor."

What does it mean when something is described as a "bad approximation"?

When something is described as a ""bad approximation"", it means that it is an inaccurate or unreliable representation of the true value or situation. It suggests that relying on this approximation could lead to errors or incorrect conclusions.