Chess and Math

You in college?  Because I need to know trig and calculus, maybe I can start a forum for you guys to teach me?

Sklavenmoral

no more math or else

If you're motivated, you don't need a teacher (someone to help you through rough spots would be good though). Buy a trig book and a solution manual, and work through the book. (Don't look at the solutions until after seriously attempting a problem - won't help you in the long run.) Do the same with calculus. But I strongly suggest being REALLY good at algebra first.

your father doesnt want you doing math, hes just trying to be nice to you.... if you really want to make him happy, STOP DOING MATH AND TRY NEW THINGS LIKE SOCIALIZING IN YOUR NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL

or else

listen to your father's true wishes not this random guy

Anyone studying math (or chemistry, or physics) needs to get a textbook and USE it.  I tutor for a living, and lately it seems that more and more students are trying to pass these courses without ever looking at their textbooks!  Paying attention in class is not enough.  And tutoring will not be enough either, if the textbook is being ignored.

The move from paper textbooks to e-books was supposed to make it easier (and less expensive) for students to study their textbooks.  But, ironically, it has backfired in many cases because this makes it easy for students to completely forget they have a textbook ("out of sight, out of mind").

Me: "did you bring your textbook?"

Student: "we don't use one in this course"

Me: "yes you do.  See this 'e-book' link on the course web page?"

Student: "crap!, you mean I hafta read that?"

Me: "you GET to read it.  Everything you need is in there."

For most students, there is no way around it -- you must spend lots of time with that intimidating, thick, tedious, textbook full of technical explanations.  If you want to become good at a tough subject (or learn a musical instrument), you will have to suffer for it, especially at first.  But if you persevere, the material will seem easy in the end, your self-esteem will soar, and you will be better positioned to follow a desirable career path.

If you're studying on your own, you can get a good idea of which textbook is best for you by reading the amazon.com reviews (and it's lower priced there than in the college bookstores).

I have a trig book from the library.  I'm awesome at algebra I and good but not great at algebra II.

Without mentor, no one get taught well.

It's true that almost every student needs a good mentor/teacher.  But students must also invest a lot of their own time, working alone, studying textbooks and practicing homework.

I repeatedly emphasize the importance of books and homework because I get many students who think that I can save them from failure by downloading a concentrated dose of knowledge into their brains.  But even if I could do that in the short time that we meet, they would not be able to retain it.  Like a piano student who has not practiced at all, but asks the teacher for a "crash course" to prepare for a recital he must perform in one hour.

Back in the day we had actual printed text books for everything and had to lug them around but had lockers we could store them in when we didnt need them .... are all these things gone now ? I used to put a text book under my pillow when sleeping and absorb everything through osmosis ... can that be done with an e-book ?  

A mentor is different from a teacher. A teacher often spoonfeeds... a mentor does not.

(Not discouraging, just asking) Why the drive for more advanced math?

I imagine one day we'll all have micro-electronic chips imbedded directly into our brains which keep us in continuous direct communication with the all-knowing internet.  No need to ever learn anything, since we can look it up at any time.  Probably governement enforced, "for our own good".  I dread this possible future where humans become cyborgs whose knowledge and beliefs are controlled by socially engineered mass culture.

Don't let them implant that chip, or game over!

Thats a very scary scenario indeed ! I always maintain that technology is both a blessing and a curse upon us !  I cannot figure out though if its more a curse or blessing ? 

Curse (I say as I stay on my computer so much...)

   "We summarize with this, the most remarkable formula in mathematics: eiθ = cos θ + i sin θ. This is our jewel."

  _Richard Feynman

@Earth64

its Cartesian coordinates.

pity you have the suspend the laws of surds to keep "i" in business.

{sqrt(-1)}{sqrt(-1)}=sqrt{(-1)^2}=sqrt(1)=1

@Jean

sqrt(-1) is represented by i (imaginary number)

i^2= (-1)