Math!!

[alex]

Well, like if your trying to flick a booger on someone, you need to know mass vs. speed vs. angle vs. trajectory.........

 

[PT]

I use algebra almost daily.

 

[outside looking in]

Examples. We need examples.

You're a carpenter or contractor, take your pick. You need to put in a staircase that goes up 10 feet, with a minimum land of 10" per step and a maximum rise of 6" per step (guessing here, I don't know what building codes stipulate).

You need to know what total length the staircase will occupy so you can see if it will fit, and know where to start with the supports.

R = maximum rise
H = height of staircase
l = minimum land
L = total length of staircase

L = (H/R)*l

Yeah, simple example, and most people would do the problem in smaller steps instead of just one equation... but it's still algebra. People use algebra when they think they're just "adding and subtracting" and don't realize it.

Like I said though, linear algebra (vector algebra, matrix mechanics, whatever you want to call it) is less generally useful. Not many people need to find the subset of a given space.

I use it occasionally at work since the finite element method relies on manipulations and solutions of matrices, but even then it's just the most basic operations.

 

[alex]

I still want to know what I won

 

[Jeslek]

I'm SO glad I'm only doing a BCom degree, NO algebra involved!

What is a BCom degree?


Algebra is fun though. Very interesting, and rather fascinating. To me at least.

 

[Luis G]

I didn't like vectorial spaces when i studied them a few years ago, maybe it was the teacher, i don't know it was just a pain listening to her for 1 hour daily.

The thing i like are differential equations.

 

[Jeslek]

I didn't like vectorial spaces when i studied them a few years ago, maybe it was the teacher, i don't know it was just a pain listening to her for 1 hour daily.

The thing i like are differential equations.

Ah HELL noo....

Suppose that a corpse was discovered in a motel room at midnight and its temperature was 80 degrees. The temperature of the room is kept constant at 60 degrees. Two hours later the temperature of the corpse dropped to 75 degrees. Find the time of death.

k = (-1/2)(ln (75-60)/(80-60)) = 0.1438

t of death = (-1/k)(ln (98.6-60)/(80/60)) = -4.57

which means that the death happened around 7:26 pm.

Ugh...





Find the orthogonal family to the family of circles x^2 + y^2 = 2Cx

 

[outside looking in]

Diff. Eq. kicks butt! Now there's something that has practical applications.

 

[alex]

Holy Shit

 

[Q]

What do I win?

I'm still waiting for the prize patrol. I beginning to think it's a big scam.

You're a carpenter or contractor, take your pick. You need to put in a staircase that goes up 10 feet, with a minimum land of 10" per step and a maximum rise of 6" per step (guessing here, I don't know what building codes stipulate).

your stairs just flunked code buddy 2 risers and 1 tread have to equal 24-25 inches.

 

[lacemyster]

Why in the hell would you need to know Algebra if you want to be a writer?

 

[Jeslek]

Why in the hell would you need to know Algebra if you want to be a writer?

To write Algebra textbooks?

 

[lacemyster]

Nooooooo, to write novels!!!!!

 

[Jeslek]

Nooooooo, to write novels!!!!!

So you plan on writing novels that will explain linear algebra? Very interesting idea. You can have a story about a vector named Billy and a basis named Mary, etc.

 

[Luis G]

maybe it is a novel about the sadness of a lonely lonely vector trying to fit

 

[lacemyster]

Noooooo, thats not what it's gonna be about

 

[Altron]

Now I suppose I have to think of a ridiculously hard algebra problem

Ok, you've got a line with a slope of -4/7 running through the point (9,5)
I want to know x and y intercepts, then the equation in standard form

I just had a test on this today, pretty easy Since we've only been working on it for about 2 months now...

 

[Luis G]

I don't have my calculator here (i hate windows calc), but i think this is the result.
The x intercept is 83/7
y intercept is b = 83/7 tan(60.2551)
b= 20.75

y= -4/7 x + 20.75

 

[Luis G]

ok, i think i did it all wrong, time to get my calc

 

[Luis G]

k,
x intercept is 17.75
y intercept is 71/7
y = -4/7 x + 71/7