I majored in math for two reasons: I didn’t know what to major in, and there was something going on in math I wanted to know about. By the time I completed my major, I was good and tired of it.
Still do, I’ll stop there because none of it made sense. The way the idiots in oklahoma taught math… Loved that teacher, algebra is nonsensical to me now. But, as a 1st grader already knew that 1+1 is not equal to 2. Because first they needed to define what 1 much less 1 is/was/will be.
I passed my high school (or closest Danish equivalent of hs) math exam by explaining how to do parallel displacement. At no time, before, during or after that exam, have I even marginally understood what parallel displacement is supposed to be used for.
I once envisioned myself as becoming a simple mechanical engineer.
Then, along about the second semester, I discovered it was so math intensive one had to actually _enjoy_ solving math problems.
It’s an acquired taste that should be initiated way back in grade school.
It was only then I put one and one together when I discovered why Engineers ran in families. You generally had to start very early in the profession.
Oh, dear. A transcendental being who hates quadratics. That’s quite irrational, and she’ll have to take continuous measures to separate the real from the imaginary.
(I gave up following the Path of Math after an undergrad course in Analysis of Reals, trying to understand Lebesgue measures. The most valuable thing I learned was that most proof problems were best solved by starting at the desired conclusion and proving things in reverse order.
I concluded that my brain handles the pragmatic practicalities of programming, much better than the abstractions of higher math… and the job prospects and pay were a lot better)
I graduated college with two computer degrees–Computer Information Science and Computer Information Systems, both with a built-in Mathematics minor. Just had to get through Calculus II. Used very little of it over the past twenty-five years. Now I’m working as a high-school substitute teacher, and I’ve been in every math class from Algebra through AP Calc. Learned very quickly that those “Dummies” books can be your best friend!
Admittedly, I can’t honestly say that I don’t use any of the advanced math I learned. There have been a few situations where remembering trigonometry or statistics or (gasp) Calc I staved off a major headache because I could solve a strange problem–it just happens so infrequently.
(As an aside, I graduated with two degrees wanting to be a computer programmer. My working career started off as an office admin, then a computer repair guy, then working at JoAnn, now substitute teaching with a side gig at another retail shop.)
I sucked in math class, and now I do a frustrating amount of math on the daily. Inescapable.
I still refuse to solve for X. My X can solve thier own problems.
…but Y? [/s] 🙂
Tell us how you really feel, Castela. XD
I majored in math for two reasons: I didn’t know what to major in, and there was something going on in math I wanted to know about. By the time I completed my major, I was good and tired of it.
Yeah, I hated story problems too.
Still do, I’ll stop there because none of it made sense. The way the idiots in oklahoma taught math… Loved that teacher, algebra is nonsensical to me now. But, as a 1st grader already knew that 1+1 is not equal to 2. Because first they needed to define what 1 much less 1 is/was/will be.
I can still recite the quadratic equation, but I have no idea what it’s for or why it could possibly be useful in my life.
I passed my high school (or closest Danish equivalent of hs) math exam by explaining how to do parallel displacement. At no time, before, during or after that exam, have I even marginally understood what parallel displacement is supposed to be used for.
I once envisioned myself as becoming a simple mechanical engineer.
Then, along about the second semester, I discovered it was so math intensive one had to actually _enjoy_ solving math problems.
It’s an acquired taste that should be initiated way back in grade school.
It was only then I put one and one together when I discovered why Engineers ran in families. You generally had to start very early in the profession.
She’s not wrong.
I believe about three point five days, but my word problem reasoning is shaky.
OMFG!! Don’t ya just HATE when you actually learn what they’re trying to teach you?
Oh, dear. A transcendental being who hates quadratics. That’s quite irrational, and she’ll have to take continuous measures to separate the real from the imaginary.
(I gave up following the Path of Math after an undergrad course in Analysis of Reals, trying to understand Lebesgue measures. The most valuable thing I learned was that most proof problems were best solved by starting at the desired conclusion and proving things in reverse order.
I concluded that my brain handles the pragmatic practicalities of programming, much better than the abstractions of higher math… and the job prospects and pay were a lot better)
My estimate was a little off.
Train A’s velocity is “Va,” Train B’s “Vb.” “Vb” equals “Va” plus zero point six seven equals 1.67 “Va.” (Vb = Va + 0.67 = 1.67Va).
Train A travels two and one eighth days, or seventeen eighths, or 2.125. (2 1/8 = 17/8).
The distance Train A covers is “d,” which equals seventeen eighths times “Va.” (d=2.125 x 1.67Va)
When Train A and Train B meet, the distance is the same, call it “t,” or “ta” and “tb.”
The equation for the distance Train A traveled is: da = va x (2.125 + t)
The equation for the distance Train B traveled is: db = vb x t = 1.67va X t
Since “da” equals “db,” the equation is: va x (2.125 + t) = 1.67va x t
Divide both sides by “va” (since it’s not zero): 2.125 + t = 1.67t
Subtract “t” from both sides: 2.125 = 1.67 t
Divide both sides by 0.67, and the result is 3.1716 approx.
Therefore, it took Train B three point one seven one six days to catch up to Train A.
It was harder to type out than work, because I did use a “solve word problems” site.
She ain’t wrong.
I was a math major too, but with a comp sci concentration, so I became a programmer.
The thing I mostly remember is that 2 + 2 can equal 5, for sufficiently large values of 2, and sufficiently small values of 5…
(it’s called rounding…)
I graduated college with two computer degrees–Computer Information Science and Computer Information Systems, both with a built-in Mathematics minor. Just had to get through Calculus II. Used very little of it over the past twenty-five years. Now I’m working as a high-school substitute teacher, and I’ve been in every math class from Algebra through AP Calc. Learned very quickly that those “Dummies” books can be your best friend!
Admittedly, I can’t honestly say that I don’t use any of the advanced math I learned. There have been a few situations where remembering trigonometry or statistics or (gasp) Calc I staved off a major headache because I could solve a strange problem–it just happens so infrequently.
(As an aside, I graduated with two degrees wanting to be a computer programmer. My working career started off as an office admin, then a computer repair guy, then working at JoAnn, now substitute teaching with a side gig at another retail shop.)