asymptotic relationship
or... approaching a value or curve arbirarily closely as some sort of limit is taken. In my empire of number class tonight I was thinking about how this pretty well describes how I live my life. My depression oftens leads me closer and closer to a point of collapse. I'm speaking from a relative "high" just now. My outlook is positive, I feel unburdened...life is good...enough. But I am measuring my quality of life by how slowly the curve tracks me to that evanescence. (Not the holy sort, just the bleak evaporation of identity). I'd rather measure against creativity--how much I can add value to the world.