Re: People are too dependant on calculators


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Re: People are too dependant on calculators



Tim Brierley wrote:
>
> your missing the point.  I meant that people use calculators too much
> for the simple things.  If you have to figure out 11^6, dont sit there
> and multiply it out or reference to pascals triangle, type it into the
> calculator.  The converse to this is if you get 11!/9!  I am willing to
> bet that around 5% of the people on this newsgroup would immedietly say
> "11*10, or 110", another 5% would say "I'll sugest it to my programming
> friend so I can solve many problems like this faster" and the remaining
> 90% would type the thing in.  When I get a problem like the one you
> stated, x^5+2x^4...  (maybe I am just weird) I LIKE to solve it without
> the calculator.

Well if that's weird, join the club!
It's things like those that give you a higher understanding of math:
when
you start seeing the patterns in what you do...All of a sudden, it's
routine!

>  Sure it may be faster with the calculator, but it seems
> artificial.  There are times when a calculator is faster, but dosen't
> help learing, when it is faster and helps learning, is slower and dosent
> help learning, and finally when it is slower and helps learning.  Until
> people figure out when the cacl does help learning, whether it is faster
> or not, people should just put them down and not use them at all.  I
> beleive that I have figured out when to and when not to use my
> calculator, and find myself rarely turning it on and going to the
> solver...
>
> Donald F McKay wrote:
>
> > Why don't you try to calculate x^5+2x^4+3x^3-x^2+10x-90=0 on paper and
> >
> > see how long it takes, it took me 13 SECONDS to do it on my TI-85.  Or
> >
> > remember 2 dozen formulas and know when to use them.
> >
> > Donald McKay
> > donmckay@juno.com
> >
> > "Carpe diem" - Horace

--
          Rene Kragh Pedersen
-----------------------------------------------
.oO) Aibohphobia - the fear of palindromes (Oo.


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