Consider using yahoo! answers to get help with a math question.

Rita Griffin from my 8 a.m. College Algebra class has discovered that you can get assistance with math questions from yahoo! answers.

You can go there by clicking here.

If you are in my College Algebra class, you remember the problem about the car that passed another car, and 30 seconds later, it was 500 feet ahead of the slower car.

Rita went there, typed in the question, and got four responses. The person who answered her question in the way that she liked best worked through the problem differently than we did in class.

If you would like to see the information on the question and answers, click on this link. You will see it all unfold before your eyes.

Rita, thanks for the information.

Everyone else, if you find some information that may be helpful to students, email it to me, or reply to one of my posts.

--Blue

Free Math Seminars Update-- Weeks 2 and 3

The Free Math Seminars meet at 3:45 pm for students in Math 0097, 0098, or 0099.

The week beginning January 19 was a short week because of the holiday. 7 students attended.
There were 9 students who attended the week of January 26.

More students attend the Wednesday group for Math 0099 than any other.

All students are welcome.

--Blue

Using the completing the square method to find the quadratic formula

This message is really just for my college algebra students.

There is a discusssion that derives the quadratic formula by completing the square at this link. You need to scroll down a little to get there.

--Blue

Russian Peasant Multiplication

Are you getting tired of using a calculator to multiply?

Why not try the Russian peasant method of multiplication? Check out this link for details.

--Blue

A note about homework assignments on Course Compass

This message is just for my students in Math 0098 and Math 0099.

You can work homework problems up until the last day of class to improve your score.

In order for changes you make to affect your score on an assignment that is past due or incomplete after the due date, you must be sure to click on the blue IMPROVE MY SCORE button when you enter the assignment. Do not click on the ONLY PRACTICE AND REVIEW button unless you do not want your work to affect your score.

Happy practicing!

--Blue

Fractals

You can see a video involving fractals by clicking on the image above.

Fractals are geometric figures that possess the property of self-similarity. That is, a close-up view of a small portion of the figure is very similar to the big picture.

You can find more fractal videos on YouTube at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuyRCfhCZT0 A video with music from The Police.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivRQDbAduoM No music here, but a discussion of some things you will find in the Mandelbrot set.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRMzglUxmOk A video from MathTV that shows you how you can make a fractal (or something close to one).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB8m85p7GsU The first 9 minutes of a much longer video.

No Cost Tutoring is available to you.

In case you haven't heard the news, you can get free math tutoring in the Student Services building near the front desk every Monday from 10:15 to 11:45 starting next week. Ms. Slocombe, who teaches classes here on the Douglas campus, with be there to assist you. Similar services are available on other campuses.

You can also get assistance from a student tutor. Uloma Owunta, and she can be contacted at 404-914-2495 or via email at uowunta@student.westcentraltech.edu. Her availability is from 12:00 to 3:45 on Tuesdays and from 9:00 to 11:00 on Fridays. Uloma's assistance is free to you, because she is working in a federal work study position. Contact her to make an appointment.

You can always come see me during office hours Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.

There are a lot of resources on this blog, too. Check out some of the postings from the past.

--Blue

Math.com

Check out math.com for a lot of math resources.

I went there, and clicked on Algebra on the right. From there I went to Solving Addition & Subtraction Equations. The system took me through a four-step process:

First Glance gave me an overview of the task at hand.

In Depth discussed several examples.

Examples gave even more examples.

Workout made it possible for me to practice some problems, and it checked my work.

There are a lot of other topics that you can get help with. Plus there are a lot of places you can go to play games, find a calculator, or get information on tutoring (this costs money).

Beware of the Store section. I clicked on it and found a place where they were selling some things, and I found it difficult to get back to the main page without typing the address in again. I guess they have to make money somehow.

--Blue

Algebra Unplugged

Another book I found on my bookshelf. Back in the 1990s I used to write the month I purchased a book on the title page. Why? I don't know, to remember the moment (?) I guess (?). It turns out that I bought this book all the way back in February 1999.

Algebra Unplugged was written by Kenn Amdahal and Dr. Jim Loats. The authors use "creative analogies [to] explain the areas that are often stumbling blocks for students".* "If you or anyone is frightened by algebra, then this entertaining, simply written book is an excellent way to overcome fear."*

Most of the topics covered take up one to three pages of text. So you can read through a snippet of information between other tasks if necessary. Some of the titles for the snippets are

• Why Do We Think** We Hate Algebra?
• Great Lies About Mathematics . . .
• The Strategies;
• Rearranging;
• The Little Weenie Numbers Approach;
• Bunnies 'Do' Functions; and
• The Problem With Paper.

If you take the time to read it, you may love it!

--Blue

*Actual quotes from the back of the book where all the people who are in the know have something to say about it.

** My emphasis.

Free Math Seminars Update

10 students attended the free math seminars this past week.

Free Math Seminars for Learning Support students take place once a week in room 228A from 3:45 to 4:45:

Mondays-- Math 0097 (This group will not be meeting this week due to the holiday on Monday.)
Tuesdays-- Math 0098
Wednesdays-- Math 0099

Find more information here.

All math students are welcome at these seminars, but each group focuses on a specific course.

--Blue

Math Nerds

I discovered a website which provides "free discovery-based mathematical guidance". In other words, you can go there and get help answering a math question. This service is not a tutorial service, but rather a place to go to get "hints, suggestions, and references to help [you] understand and solve mathematical problems."

I tried out the site at 11:35 pm last night and received a response from a volunteer named Bob at 10:02 am today. The response was thorough and helpful if you ask me.

This is a great idea if you need help with something and can wait a few hours to a few days to get a response. The website says that it usually takes 1-2 days for a response to come your way.

How do you get there? Go to mathnerds.com.

--Blue

Go hang a salami, I'm a lasagna hog.

palindrome (plural palindromes)

(1) A word, phrase, number oor any other sequence of units (such as a strand of DNA) which has the property of reading the same forwards as it does backwards, character for character, sometimes disregarding punctuation.

(2) A peotic form in which the sequence of words reads the same in either direction.

(http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/palindrome)

You know, the title of this posting is a palindrome. It makes me chuckle, like many palindromes do.

2002 was the last time that a palindrome represented the year on the calendar.

For more examples, and more information on palindromes, check out this website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palindrome.

If you have 5 minutes, you have time to watch a video palindrome:
http://www.vimeo.com/2411752.

--Blue

Free Graph Paper Generator

If you are like me, every once in a while you find yourself in a position where you wish you had some graph paper. You may love this web site:

http://www.softschools.com/math/graph_paper/generator/

Check it out. You can change the way the graph paper looks to meet your needs.

--Blue

Graph "any" equation (electronically) for free.

Isn't living in the year 2009 so much easier than 1989?

I remember graduating from high school 20 years ago, when computers were still kind of a novelty, and were often more trouble than they were worth. Remember formatting disks? Remember word processing software where you had to type in special symbols to make things show up in italics? Remember writing programs on the computer that made the computer count from one to one hundred?

I know. . . . there is a good chance that if you are reading this message, then you were not even born in 1989. But the times sure have changed.

This website is rather rudimentary, but it is evidence that it is easier to do just about anything today than it used to be. And you do not have to pay $89+ for a graphing calculator. You can actually graph equations just by plugging the formula into a box on this website: http://www.freemathhelp.com/equation-grapher.html.

The claim that you can graph "any equation" is false. I unsuccessfully tried graphing y = log(x). [College Algebra]

But I was able to graph a quadratic equation two ways: (1) by using x*x for the "x squared" term; and (2) by using x^2 for the "x squared" term. [Math 0099, College Algebra].

I also was able to find the intersection of two graphs. [Math 0099]

Check it out!

--Blue

The Richest Man In Babylon

I am re-reading The Richest Man in Babylon. I found it at a used bookstore several years ago, and picked it up again after I found it on my book shelf recently.

The book was written more than 80 years ago by a gentleman named George Samuel Clason. It is great reading for people interested in learning about personal finance in a story-based format. The stories take place in ancient Babylon and mostly follow one person's journey from rags to riches.

You know, the Babylonians had a different way of keeping track of numbers from the one we have. But some of what they did has trickled down to those of us living today. You can find out some more about Babylonian mathematics at this link:
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Indexes/Babylonians.html.

If you are interested in doing some of the things that the Richest Man in Babylon did, you may want to check the book out.

Happy Reading!

--Blue

Mathematics in Movies

Some movies where mathematics shows up in the story line can be found at http://www.math.harvard.edu/~knill/mathmovies/.

Check it out. Some of them are pretty funny.

--Blue

Interactive Algebra

Here's a website for you:

veazeys.com/math/lessons.htm

What you will find here:

• Practice solving equations;
• Practice solving inequalities;
• Practice with factoring; and
• Practice with graphing. . .

. . . all important topics in mathematics.

One thing to beware of: This website uses symbols like this (x^2) to represent what we call "x squared". So you have to kind of work around that.

This is great for practicing your algebra skills!

--Blue

MathTV.com

Here is a link to a website that I found out about through my co-worker Ms. Bissette here at WCTC.

http://mathtv.com/

This website is great because it has videos and because you get to pick who you want to talk to you about math. You will find hundreds of examples covering many topics that you will encounter in courses here at WCTC. For example:

• In Math 0098 you will be dealing with adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing positive and negative numbers (very important in every math class you will ever take). This web site has you covered.

• In Math 0099 you will be dealing with solving inequalities (similar to solving equations, but not exactly the same thing). This web site has you covered.

• In Math 1111 you will discuss factoring at perhaps the fastest pace you have ever seen it covered. This web site is a place to go to for additional review.

You need to join the website as a member to review some content at this website. I give it five stars. Check it out!

--Blue

Some Interesting Clocks

You can find some interesting clocks at these links.

http://www.ma.huji.ac.il/~hart/humor/clock.html

http://home.tiscali.nl/annejan/swf/timeline.swf

http://scienceblogs.com/clock/2008/04/the_most_amazing_clock.php

Can you tell that I am easily entertained?

--Blue

Free Math Seminars

You may have seen the signs on campus for the Free Math Seminars coming in January.

They are almost here. The first seminars will be meeting the week of January 12.

Math 0097 students will meet from 3:45 to 4:45 Mondays in Room 228.
Math 0098 students will meet from 3:45 to 4:45 Tuesdays in Room 228.
Math 0099 students will meet from 3:45 to 4:45 Wednesdays in Room 228.

Depending on the turnout, the format of the seminars will vary. If the number of students attending is small, the event will be more like a tutoring session. If the number of students attending is larger, the event will take on a quality more like a seminar with questions taken from the group. Either way, something will be provided to students that will benefit them in their classes.

While the focus of each seminar is on a specific course each day, all math students, regardless of the courses they are taking are welcome to attend the seminars.

Have a great quarter!

Purplemath

Hi.

Here is a great website with lots of information that could benefit any math student at West Central Tech:

www.purplemath.com

The site includes

• Lessons on topics in mathematics;
• Links to other places to go for free practice worksheets; and
• Hints on how to write out your homework problems.

I give this site five stars.

Algebra The Easy Way

There are a lot of different books out there that you can use to learn algebra. Barron's Algebra The Easy Way is one example.

Dr. Douglas Downing wrote the book, which discusses important algebraic concepts in the format of a fantasy novel that includes characters living in a faraway land. If you are not the biggest fan of looking at math books that tell you the information but make you fall asleep in the process, you may want to give this one a shot. Topics discussed in the story include

• Solving equations (math 0098);
• Graphs and linear functions (math 0099); and
• Exponential functions and logarithms (math 1111).

The book is brought to you by Barron's. I found a copy of the fourth edition of the book at my local library in the NON-fiction section under the Dewey Decimal System number 512.1.

Happy reading!

Set-builder notation and interval notation

College Algebra Students:

Question: Why would you want to master the use of set-builder notation and interval notation to describe a set of numbers?

One Answer: We will be using them to describe our solutions to inequalities. Unlike equations that will usually have just one answer like x = 30 or x = 12, inequalities usually have more than one answer. For example, the inequality x + 7 > 16 has many solutions. It turns out that x = 30 and x = 12 are both solutions to this inequality. But there are many more. We need a way to describe all of the numbers in a compact form.

Another Answer: We will need them to describe the domain or range of a function. The function f(x) = log x does not make sense for certain values of x, like x = 0 or x = -10. We need a way to describe this too.

Check out these sites for additional information on using set-builder notation and interval notation:

http://id.mind.net/~zona/mmts/miscellaneousMath/intervalNotation/intervalNotation.html. A very straight-forward discussion of the relationship between the inequality symbols and the brackets and parentheses used in interval notation.

http://regentsprep.org/Regents/math/ALGEBRA/AP1/IntervalNot.htm. Note: This site uses the classic method of open circles and closed circles to graph intervals. Our textbook uses parentheses and brackets in the graphs. Our textbook's method is a little more awkward if you ask me, but I think it makes it easier to describe a group of numbers using interval notation.

http://www.math.ohio-state.edu/files/interval.pdf. This document actually uses the parentheses and brackets on graphs the way our textbook uses them. Each row shows an inequality in interval notation, in set-builder notation, and as a graph. You can replace the "a"s and "b"s with numbers to show the answers to similar problems with actual numbers in them.

Course Compass

My goal is to place a post on this blog every day or almost every day with something interesting or useful to my students.

Today, I want to post a link to coursecompass.com. All of my Math 0098 and Math 0099 students should use this site to work homework problems. In the event that your overall grade on thhomework problems is higher that one of your two lowest test grades, then the grade will replace that grade.

You need the access code that comes bundled with your new textbook, or you can purchase access with a credit card if you do not purchase the book.

You also need one of these codes to get into the proper course:

Math 0098: blue50374
Math 0099: blue37861

You can access the site even if you are not one of my students if you would like to practice the problems that we are working in class. Math 0099 students are welcome to access the 0098 site to practice topics that are discussed in that class.

Math 0098 and Math 0099 students are also welcome to practice Math 0097 topics by accessing this course: blue86991.