Math in high school

[Heretic_Cata]

When I took my first linear algebra course in university we were awarded bonus points if we correctly wrote down the cubic formula. Many more bonus points were awarded for the quartic formula. Needless to say, it wasn't the best method for encourging us to learn linear algebra.

Cubic Formula

Quartic Formula

OMFG - tell me you're joking !!!! Couldn't they just teach Horner's Table (/algorithm ... however you call it over there)... sure it only works for "normal" sollutions, but, by all that's still holy, how can the teacher even CONSIDER telling you to learn those like that.
All the math teachers i had (and most of them were great) often said that we won't acomplish anything by learning formulas like a poem, kuz we would soon forget ...

 

[funxus]

Graduating school isn't just learning for your own use, it's just as much a way of saying that you have a basic understanding of something. High school here says you have a basic skill in your own language, English, Maths, history, religion and a few more fields. By taking one of them away, you lower the standards of the diploma, and employers can't rely on you having an understanding in this field. High school is a standard, and graduating says you live up to that standard. Same as with having done a degree at uni.

 

[newfangle]

What do those cubic and quadratic equations even have to do with linear algebra? Or is that the whole point?

It was meant to stimulate interest in mathematics more than anything else. Heh, it worked on me.

 

[History_Buff]

Jesus newf, was that at the U of C? Cause I took Math 221 last year, and I didn't even get close to seeing those formulae.

 

[newfangle]

Its not like it was part of the syllabus or anything. It was more of a joke.

 

[toh6wy]

When I took my first linear algebra course in university we were awarded bonus points if we correctly wrote down the cubic formula. Many more bonus points were awarded for the quartic formula. Needless to say, it wasn't the best method for encourging us to learn linear algebra.

Cubic Formula

Quartic Formula

...

Was anyone able to write either down from memory?...

 

[newfangle]

The cubic isn't bad, once you learn the pattern for one of the roots. Quartic is obviously impossible unless you have a photographic memory.

 

[History_Buff]

The cubic isn't bad, once you learn the pattern for one of the roots. Quartic is obviously impossible unless you have a photographic memory.

Yeah, that one must have been a real ***** to derive. Even if you got it right the first time, it's a **** load of writing, and then you have to verify the thing.

 

[GenMarshall]

The basics of math that are needed in High School are mainly Algebra and Geometry as well as basic arithmitic. Thoes I feel are needed in life.