Math

[TevashSzat]

I like math mainly because I'm pretty good at it by nature.

My teacher is okay though, but the Calc BC stuff she's teaching right now (partial derivatives of multivariable functions) kinda confuses the whole class. Literally more than a third of a class fails her tests regularly and the class average on tests is like a 58%

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I used to hate the fact that, in the highest stream of our education system, I always had teachers who would only tell you when to do something, not why you did it. That always frustrated me, because to grasp the theory I feel that you should know why you do everything in math.

[Quirinus]

I used to hate the fact that, in the highest stream of our education system, I always had teachers who would only tell you when to do something, not why you did it. That always frustrated me, because to grasp the theory I feel that you should know why you do everything in math.

Exactly! Me too.... similarly, I like science, but I do hate how they teach it in school. They never tell you why differentiation is like that, or why there is a tricuspid valve in the right ventricle but only a bicuspid vavle in the left.

I rather enjoyed statistics and probability though. Those two topics were the only ones I enjoyed in Maths.

[Viking]

They never tell you why differentiation is like that, or why there is a tricuspid valve in the right ventricle but only a bicuspid vavle in the left.

Well, let's say you wanted to differentiate f (x) =(2X+1)^5 without using any of the easy and straight forward rules.


It should go like this

ΔY = (2(ΔX+X)+1)^5 -(2X+1)^5

f ' (x) =

lim (ΔY/ΔX)
ΔX --> 0


have fun.



hint: it'll take some time.

[LittleGrizzly]

I think I've done that, or started on the basics of it...

f (x)

is that a function of x ?

ΔY = (2(ΔX+X)+1)^5 -(2X+1)^5

is that x's relation to y ?

and whats this lim all about.... i think i understand most of that... don't think we've got that far in my maths work yet...

and well were on the subject anyone now where i can get the basics of motion under air resistance...

[Viking]

I think I've done that, or started on the basics of it...

f (x)

is that a function of x ?

ΔY = (2(ΔX+X)+1)^5 -(2X+1)^5

is that x's relation to y ?

and whats this lim all about.... i think i understand most of that... don't think we've got that far in my maths work yet...

and well were on the subject anyone now where i can get the basics of motion under air resistance...

Yes, f (X) is function of X.


if f (X) = 2X^2 then f (2) = 2*2^2

i.e. f (X) is another way to write Y.


lim is what Y value we are approaching when X is approaching a certain value.

lim 2X = 6
X-->3


Δ means change, ΔY thus means the change in the Y value.

so when you calculate ΔY/ΔX you'll get how much Y goes up per X value (there is a much nicer term for this..).

If the function is meter on the on Y axis and seconds on the X axis, the derivative can tell you the speed at any give point in the graph:

m/s


Edit: If you should really try differentiation, then do not use the first function I mentioned since it is hopeless to differentiate. Differentiating X should be more fun.

[edyzmedieval]

I used to be really good in math up until the 6th grade, when I changed school and I suddenly came on a ***** (not the B word, it's nicer; and she actually was like that!) which would only do like super heavy duty exercises which only like 10 people out of 30 would do.

[TevashSzat]

Well, let's say you wanted to differentiate f (x) =(2X+1)^5 without using any of the easy and straight forward rules.


It should go like this

ΔY = (2(ΔX+X)+1)^5 -(2X+1)^5

f ' (x) =

lim (ΔY/ΔX)
ΔX --> 0


have fun.



hint: it'll take some time.

Bah!, Definition of a derivative is easy to do, definition of an integral is hard

limit Σ[i=1->n] f(ci)Δx
(n->oo)

where xi-1≤ci≤xi

[naut]

Calculus is awesome!

[Rhyfelwyr]

Most boring, painful subject in the world.

I was good at it up until the Scottish Higher level, that's basically English A-level, no idea for the US.

Higher maths took up a lot of my time.

Finished with it for life now though.

[GeneralHankerchief]

They need to make that calculus and linear *#%! optional after geometry. Seriously. Only a certain, small portion of society is ever going to need it and it is easily learnable in college. Instead, they should teach practical math in HS and make it mandatory, so when people go out on their own they'll actually have a ing clue about how to survive financially.

But NOOOOOO, never mind that! These kids are smart! They'll be able to figure out stuff like the tax code and how to balance a checkbook and how high credit card interest rates actually are, so maybe if they DO all figure it out our rates won't be so freaking high because people will actually PAY OFF THEIR DEBTS by themselves! Besides, none of that's important anyway! After all, there are functions to be derived and integrated! Isn't that exciting?





...I'll take my pills now.

[Motep]

I like math mainly because I'm pretty good at it by nature.

My teacher is okay though, but the Calc BC stuff she's teaching right now (partial derivatives of multivariable functions) kinda confuses the whole class. Literally more than a third of a class fails her tests regularly and the class average on tests is like a 58%

Sounds like Mr. Godtlands class, except for the fact that he sucks all the time.

[Csargo]

But NOOOOOO, never mind that! These kids are smart! They'll be able to figure out stuff like the tax code and how to balance a checkbook and how high credit card interest rates actually are, so maybe if they DO all figure it out our rates won't be so freaking high because people will actually PAY OFF THEIR DEBTS by themselves! Besides, none of that's important anyway! After all, there are functions to be derived and integrated! Isn't that exciting?

I took that instead of Pre-cal

[GeneralHankerchief]

I took that instead of Pre-cal

Ah, looks like it's just my system that's all daisied up then. Either that or you're a lucky one.

Figures.

[pevergreen]

Sounds like Math A here, all practical, no normal strand stuff.

Math B (I hate this assignment) Trig, Calc, Alg etc. Bleh

[spmetla]

I enjoyed math but really enjoyed statistics, proving useless stuff with numbers is fun. Sadly though it's been 7 years since I took statistics and 8 years since a normal math class and I am ashamed to say that I can not do basic algebra anymore much less anything more advanced, even my beloved statistics.

[Xehh II]

I was okish at maths but I never liked it that much.