I know this forum is for how math applys to games, but this is the only math programming forum i could find... anyway.... i was just introduced to the wonderful world of programming last week when i created my first program (with NO tutorials and just a tiny but of help from a friend on the bus) Anyway, to the point of my post... My algebra exam is comming up and i would find it extremely helpful if i could create a program where i would plug in an equation and it would tell me the value of the variable. For example: I would imput: 2x+(3x/5)=5-(x/10) It would display: x=1 (or whatever it is) Any help would be greatly appreciated... Thanks!!

At the risk of sounding preachy:

Take the time to learn how to actually work the equation. You will probably have to show your work anyway. The nice thing is that you''ll be able to check your work mid-exam, but it should be used as a final confirmation, not a "gee - how do I get there?"

Normally, I wouldn''t be preachy, but algebra is critical to almost everything that comes next. If you skate by without really knowing what''s going on, it will come back to bite you when you move into calculus, etc.

quote:
Normally, I wouldn''t be preachy, but algebra is critical to almost everything that comes next. If you skate by without really knowing what''s going on, it will come back to bite you when you move into calculus, etc.

Unless, of course, he buys a better calculator The TI-89''s can do calc 1 & 2, and the TI-92''s can be taught to solve many ordinary and partial differential equations.

I always used the calculator to check my work - if my answer and the answer the calculator gives are the same you can have confidence the calculator is right. If they''re different, I always doubted the calculator - there''s certain types of problems they don''t solve well. Advanced trig gives them particular trouble, as well as equations with singularities (1/x type stuff).

Seriously though, don''t let the calculator become too big of a crutch.

Magmai Kai Holmlor

"Oh, like you''ve never written buggy code" - Lee

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quote:Original post by Anonymous Poster
Learn your algebra like the rest of us did, dude.

I agree. Or at least open the calculator manual and look inside -- you''ll be amazed at what you see.

quote:Original post by MrPoopypants
My algebra exam is comming up and i would find it extremely helpful if i could create a program where i would plug in an equation and it would tell me the value of the variable.

For example:
I would imput: 2x+(3x/5)=5-(x/10)
It would display: x=1 (or whatever it is)

Any help would be greatly appreciated... Thanks!!

I am flexible. Certain types of homework questions are acceptable, as long as you clearly indicate that you are not asking for a solution (only advice and direction), and that you show your own work to prove you're working hard to try and solve the problem by yourself. Unfortunately, given that a large part of algebra is solving for 'x' given an equation, your post sounds like a request to help you cheat on your algebra exam. And you don't show any evidence that you've tried to develop the program for yourself.

I appreciate the discussion here, especially the wise comments of moderator Magmai Kai Holmlor. Use the calculator to check your work, not solve the problem for you. Please make an effort to actually learn the math and not just the software tools that can do the math for you. You'd be surprised how much more you can do if you understand the nitty gritty details, .

I'm afraid I'm going to have to close this thread. This request just doesn't feel right.

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Graham Rhodes
Senior Scientist
Applied Research Associates, Inc.

[edited by - grhodes_at_work on June 3, 2002 5:24:15 PM]