What is the point in half the Algebra we Study in school?

Retromaster · Post by **Retromaster** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:23 pm

joevennix wrote:
Retromaster wrote:trig is an extremely advanced type of mathematics. its properly called, trigenometry.

Anyways, algebra is hugely important if you ever want to do anything in the engineering fields. Algebra helps you solve problems easily, helps you rearrange and write equations. The knowledge you gain in algebra is necessary to move on to higher maths. Granted, some areas are a bit, if not very, unnecessary, but on the whole its definitely helpful, and does have many possible real-life uses. Just look at every single word problem in your text book (okay, some of them are definitely far-fetched, but most are reasonable).

And for the record, trigonometery isn't all that advanced or difficult, once you understand it.

whats wrong with what I said?

Post by **bicostp** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:30 pm

Yew speld "trigonometry" rong.

Algebra 1 is one of the most important math courses you'll take if you get into a field requiring you to do mroe than add, subtract, multiply, and divide. (Game design, programming, engineering...) You probably won't use all of it but you still have to learn it. Why? Because the school board says so. Do whatever you have to to graduate. Only when you have your diploma in hand are you allowed to forget everything.

An education is a terrible thing to waste. Stay in school.

Retromaster · Post by **Retromaster** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:43 pm

o maen, Ie gess Ie bedder staey ine skool!
if I want to be an engineer, what all do I have to learn?

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 4:19 pm

Retromaster wrote:if I want to be an engineer, what all do I have to learn?

All the math you can, physics, and likely chemistry. Depends on what kind of engineering, but that should round you good enough to do pretty much any (after college, of course). Talk to your counselor at school, too.

Retromaster · Post by **Retromaster** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 4:20 pm

electrical engineer.

ah damn. I hate math. but im good at it....

Jongamer · Post by **Jongamer** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 4:37 pm

Black Six wrote:You want to repair cars? A 200 HP engine turning at 2500 RPM is connected to an axle by two gears with a 4:3 ratio. The brakes put a resistance torque of 2000 Nm (directed outward) on the axle. Is this enough to stop the axle from turning?

Perhaps not something directly related to auto repair, but it requires basic mechanics, which is built on, you guess it, algebra.

You want to build and repair computers? I could probably think up an equally semi-valid problem, but I'll just say this. Algebra, and math in general, teach you problem solving techniques. If you want to be able to successfully troubleshoot why a computer isn't working, you're going to need those skills.

Bottom line is, pay attention, learn, and do well. If you don't, you'll work at McDonald's for the rest of your life.

Also any school work problems Have to interest me, If its crap about a guy named bob or somone Walking down the street it comes to me as VERY boring, making me not feel like doing it, and the fact that teachers bother me and keep telling me to do it just makes me not want to do it more.

The problems have to be what I am interested in for me to be able to remotely answer it, oh and whoever the copulate came up with these huge ass confuseing words in algebra should be shot, it gets so confusing, try to remember the differeances between them and remembering them is a pain in the ass.

Mageslayer · Post by **Mageslayer** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:33 pm

daguuy wrote:the point is to find x

That made me think of this.

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:38 pm

Mageslayer wrote:
daguuy wrote:the point is to find x
That made me think of this.

I want to do that on a test.

ShockSlayer · Post by **ShockSlayer** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:40 pm

I did that.

After the test was over, I exchanged papers with a girl near me, and she wrote the smae thing

SS

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:49 pm

ShockSlayer wrote:I did that.

After the test was over, I exchanged papers with a girl near me, and she wrote the smae thing

SS

Did you get credit? I would give credit if I was a teacher and a student did that. Teachers could get around it by asking for the value of x, but they should give credit if they just said to find x.

ShockSlayer · Post by **ShockSlayer** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:52 pm

Yes.

SS

Post by **Black Six** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:55 pm

teraflop122 wrote:
you'll work at McDonald's for the rest of your life.
I always wonder how that kind of talk makes managers and owners of McDonald's locations feel

Well, I wouldn't imagine being a manager at McDonalds is an extremely well paying or self-satisfying job. As for the owners, they don't work at McDonalds, they own it, there's a difference.

Retromaster wrote:electrical engineer.

ah damn. I hate math. but im good at it....

Expect to takes lots of math if you want to be an electrical engineer. This includes basic Calculus (usually Calc 1 & 2), Differential Equations, and Multivariate Calculus. You'll also have to take some physics, at the very least Mechanics and Electricity & Magnetism. Then there'll be a stat course or two you have to take. And of course all of your circuit theory and design classes, which rely heavily on Calculus and Physics (E&M). And don't forget programming classes, which usually include Boolean Algebra (fun stuff!).

Take it from me, I'm in my college's Electrical and Computer Engineering school, and it's essentially all math or based on math.

Jongamer wrote:Also any school work problems Have to interest me, If its crap about a guy named bob or somone Walking down the street it comes to me as VERY boring, making me not feel like doing it, and the fact that teachers bother me and keep telling me to do it just makes me not want to do it more.

The problems have to be what I am interested in for me to be able to remotely answer it, oh and whoever the screw came up with these huge ass confuseing words in algebra should be shot, it gets so confusing, try to remember the differeances between them and remembering them is a pain in the ass.

I'm sorry it's hard for you to get yourself interested in it, but that doesn't make it any less important. And remember this kids: '"Life sucks, then you die." So you had better start getting used to it.

jleemero · Post by **jleemero** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:18 pm

Well...
Let's see...

Umm...

Go pick up a book on programming in C++.
Or and openGL book.
Heck a "How to program your TI calculator" kinda book even.

Now compare that to your AlgebraII book...

There ya go!

ALL(!) of your favorite video games use Algebra.
ESPECIALLY 3D games.

Heck, I make games on my TI-84+ calculator and earn EXTRA CREDIT in my math class for doing so!

Also, engineers, architects, the group of people who designed your computer, from the case to the guts straight down to Windows.

All of it's trig and algebra...

So uh...
Ya...

Oh, and EVERYTHING else that's not more than a decade old...
(okay not everything but pretty dang close!)

Post by **Sparkfist** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 8:10 am

Most algebra we study, that is the kind we learn in middle/high school is rhetorical algebra, meaning that outside of it being a higher form of mathematics it has no purpose. Some of it does serve a purpose, in my Intermediate Algebra class the instructor mentions that the equations we're learning now are used in the development of jet propulsion, meaning we're dealing with complex numbers.

Really I don't see where I would use any of this, not much of it is used in computer programming, which is going to be one of my majors when I graduate.

Trig.... Well that, I know nothing about. But I am going to be taking a class for it next term. Unfortunately I still don't see what it has to do with computer science, but there is a woman in my Algebra class that is going to be a K-7 teacher and she's having to take this. Thing is you're going to have to take it good or bad, they're going to make you take math classes whether you're going to use them in real life or not.

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 8:43 am

what does any kind of math have to do with computer programming?

answer: directly - nothing! you can program without math

but then comes the day that your teacher asks you to write a program that calculates integrals or something. and then the answer is "everything"

in my university computer classes, they quite often ask us to create programs to calculate the answer to some complicated math problem, because thats what computers are best at. Im in ECE, not software, but they still make me learn programming - cause computers are the new slide rules. universal math problem solvers.

and algebra? well like everyone keeps mentioning, calculus is a real big thing. calculus is used to calculate hundreds of thousands of things, from the transient response of a second order circuit to the volume of a sphere.

now im sure most of you know the volume of a sphere because it was given to you, but does anyone know how to calculate it from first principles?

its a triple integral

thats calculus. which is algebra.