Reaching agreement when there is disagreement is a challenge.
Divergence is the act and result of diverging : to disagree, to move away. The term has its etymological origin in the Latin word divergens .
The concept is used in different areas. Thus we can find the idea of divergence in mathematics , literature , finance and meteorology , for example.
The divergence of opinions
When there are different opinions on a matter, we speak of divergence. This implies the existence of a heterogeneity of opinions .
That there is divergence implies the presence of disagreements or discrepancies . This dissension can trigger dissimilar effects: although it usually causes confrontations, altercations and conflicts, it can also make possible the generation of a new consensus or even the production of knowledge.
It must be understood that, when there is discord , a disagreement occurs. This opposition or separation can establish a rupture or, on the contrary, serve to build something different where there is a coincidence. In a broad sense, it can be said that debate and controversy are useful and even necessary, as long as the contrast does not lead to an unbridgeable gap or a fracture.
Divergence can lead to contention or confrontation.
The dialectic
If we focus on Hegelian dialectics , as the logic analyzed by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel ( 1770 – 1831 ) is known, we can appreciate the importance of the divergence.
For Hegel , ideas evolve thanks to a dialectical process. The formulation of an idea (the thesis ) is followed by its denial (the antithesis ); Then comes the synthesis , which is the overcoming of the thesis based on the denial of the antithesis itself. This synthesis does not imply an end, but is positioned as the thesis that gives rise to a new dialectical process.
Divergence is needed, therefore, to progress and achieve progress. The differences between thesis and antithesis are reconciled, in a certain way, with the synthesis, which makes it possible to overcome the apparent contradiction .
Sometimes the divergence arises from confusion or misunderstanding.
Examples of divergence
Without delving into the complexities of philosophy, we can find examples of divergence in everyday life.
Suppose a married couple is considering moving. While the woman wants to settle in an apartment since she considers it safer than a house, her husband insists on buying a home with a patio or garden to enjoy the outdoors. From the dispute over this divergence and thanks to the dialogue, an agreement emerges: the move will be made to an apartment that has a large balcony-terrace.
Take the case of two friends with different political views. One is a staunch defender of his country's government and rejects all criticism made of those responsible for the current administration; The other expresses a deep rejection of government policies and even calls for resistance . As time passes, the tension between them grows and the counterpoint becomes more violent. Finally, the divergence leads to the end of the friendship : these people stop seeing each other and no longer even maintain communication.
The term in mathematics
In the field of mathematics , divergence is a scalar function . What it does is establish the difference that exists between the flow that leaves a vector field and the flow that enters.
The divergence, in this way, can be negative or positive . The divergence theorem , for its part, links the flow of a vector field on a closed surface with the divergence that the field has in the volume that delimits the surface in question.
Types of divergence
In finance , we can find two types of divergence: regular divergence and hidden divergence .
Before continuing, it should be noted that divergence is understood as the marked difference between the trajectory of a price and the trajectory of a certain technical indicator. According to specialists, a divergence can reflect the maintenance of a trend or, on the contrary, a change in it.
When the trend is reversing, it is called regular divergence . On the other hand, if signs of continuity are noted, an allusion is made to a hidden divergence .
The concept in other areas
The notion of divergence is also used in meteorology . This is what the division of vertical air currents is called when two flows are generated that separate in different directions.
In literature , the term divergence is important in uchronia (the literary genre that presents plots whose development takes place in a reality where an event from the past was different from the real one). The moment at which uchronic and real history differ and a deviation begins to develop is called the point of divergence .
For linguistics , on the other hand, divergence arises when the evolution of a language causes different forms to emerge from the same etym. The divergence is related, therefore, to a plurality that is the consequence of the derivation of two lexical pieces from one.