[math-fun] What use is algebra, anyway?
As I waited at the checkout of our local wholefood shop, a lady who I know to be both literate and equipped with a technical background --- besides a number of other attributes which, though perhaps not immediately relevant to the discussion, hardly serve to encourage coherent impromptu cogitation on the part of an elderly academic --- conveyed to me an enquiry posed by her teenage daughter, along the lines of: "You're a mathematician" (always an ominous opener, I have observed) "--- what's the use of algebra?" I think I did eventually manage to marshall a reasonably convincing reply. But I wondered what would other people here have told her? Fred Lunnon
On Tue, Nov 11, 2008 at 8:17 PM, Fred lunnon <fred.lunnon@gmail.com> wrote:
As I waited at the checkout of our local wholefood shop, a lady who I know to be both literate and equipped with a technical background --- besides a number of other attributes which, though perhaps not immediately relevant to the discussion, hardly serve to encourage coherent impromptu cogitation on the part of an elderly academic --- conveyed to me an enquiry posed by her teenage daughter, along the lines of:
"You're a mathematician" (always an ominous opener, I have observed) "--- what's the use of algebra?"
I think I did eventually manage to marshall a reasonably convincing reply. But I wondered what would other people here have told her?
Fred Lunnon
I generally refer much more to the use of algebra as a symbolic notation for things, rather than as a set of procedures for manipulating those symbols. For instance, I'd say algebra is a way of representing a pattern, or an infinite collection of arithmetic facts. I often use analogies like "trying to represent a pattern without using algebra is like trying to write down a piece of music without using musical notation." Or look at what happened to choreography once better notation was invented there. I'm definitely interested in hearing what other people like to talk about! --Joshua Zucker
Algebra is useful for me because classmates from 25 years ago send me algebra questions such as the following (from yesterday afternoon). I get to look smart when I answer them. What more could you ask of a middle school subject? Thane
Hi Jolinda
If x is the number you pick that's less than 10 at the start, you get at each step
2x 2x+5 100x+250 100x+2007 (or 100x+2008) 100x+age
since the x is a one-digit number the 100x part is 100, 200, or 300 (etc, up to 900)
and the age is the rest
HTH
nice to hear from you
my best to jane runge! Thane
On Tue, Nov 11, 2008 at 2:29 PM, Jolinda <>< <zdrakes@frontiernet.net> wrote:
----- Original Message ----- From: Jolinda <>< To: thane@kothreat.com Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 3:02 PM Subject: Fw: Your Age By Eating Out......WEIRD!!!! Hello Thane. This may sound silly, but I know with your math background
you
would be able to explain how this dumb thing works. Let me know. Jolinda (Hicken) Drake. I found your e-mail on Google. Can you believe it has been almost 30 years! Ron DeBeck has started a yahoo group for KHS class of 1980. I'm sorry, I just can't figure this one out on my own. I forwarded this to Jane (Runge) Sattler also. We both would love the info. Keep in touch. Jolinda ----- Original Message ----- From: cindi salidvar To: Karla Anderson ; dd.stoddard@gmail.com ; Becky Eckhout ; teresa eckjout ; Sheryl Gannon ; Deb Houser ; Julie Klaus ; Vicky Kriger ; Kim Parker ; karen pritchard ; Josh Saldivar ; zdrakes@frontiernet.net Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 6:39 AM Subject: Fw: Your Age By Eating Out......WEIRD!!!!
--- On Mon, 11/10/08, transcriber123 <transcriber123@aol.com> wrote:
From: transcriber123 <transcriber123@aol.com> Subject: Your Age By Eating Out......WEIRD!!!! To: cliffmaddox@msn.com, rcsaldivar1979@yahoo.com, brwn_eyed_sue@yahoo.com, dadguy1958@yahoo.com, natureman1967@yahoo.com, kathyskids@cox.net, "teddyBearAPF" <teddybearapf@aol.com>, dhartshorn12981@aol.com, "kpnY01" <kpny01@aol.com>, hotstuff787@aol.com, sriggs@neheart.com, mhulbert@neb.rr.com, jeri.brower@conagrafoods.com, streek77@windstream.net, unipub@alltel.net Date: Monday, November 10, 2008, 11:46 PM
YOUR AGE BY EATING OUT
Don't tell me your age; you probably would tell a falsehood anyway-but your waiter may know!
YOUR AGE BY DINER & RESTAURANT MATH
DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!
It takes less than a minute. Work this out as you read.
Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!
This is not one of those waste of time things, it's fun.
1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to go out to eat. (More than once but less than 10.)
2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold).
3. Add 5.
4. Multiply it by 50.
5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1758...
If you haven't, add 1757.
6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born. You should have a three digit number.
The first digit of this was your original number. (i.e., How many times you want to go out to restaurants in a week.)
The next two numbers are YOUR AGE! --- (Oh yes, it is!)
THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2008) IT WILL EVER WORK, SO SPREAD IT AROUND WHILE IT LASTS
________________________________ Instant access to the latest & most popular FREE games while you browse with the Games Toolbar - Download Now!
On Wed, Nov 12, 2008 at 1:34 PM, Joshua Zucker <joshua.zucker@gmail.com> wrote:
On Tue, Nov 11, 2008 at 8:17 PM, Fred lunnon <fred.lunnon@gmail.com> wrote:
As I waited at the checkout of our local wholefood shop, a lady who I know to be both literate and equipped with a technical background --- besides a number of other attributes which, though perhaps not immediately relevant to the discussion, hardly serve to encourage coherent impromptu cogitation on the part of an elderly academic --- conveyed to me an enquiry posed by her teenage daughter, along the lines of:
"You're a mathematician" (always an ominous opener, I have observed) "--- what's the use of algebra?"
I think I did eventually manage to marshall a reasonably convincing reply. But I wondered what would other people here have told her?
Fred Lunnon
I generally refer much more to the use of algebra as a symbolic notation for things, rather than as a set of procedures for manipulating those symbols.
For instance, I'd say algebra is a way of representing a pattern, or an infinite collection of arithmetic facts.
I often use analogies like "trying to represent a pattern without using algebra is like trying to write down a piece of music without using musical notation." Or look at what happened to choreography once better notation was invented there.
I'm definitely interested in hearing what other people like to talk about!
--Joshua Zucker
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-- Thane Plambeck tplambeck@gmail.com http://www.plambeck.org/ehome.htm
For me, it would depend on the education of the person involved. If I were replying to an average citizen, I would say something like, "Everytime you compute your income tax you are actually doing algebra. Everytime you compute your property tax you are actually doing algebra. When you compute the mortgage you can afford for a new house, then you are doing algebra." For people with higher education, I would point to Noether's Theorem and note that all physical conservation laws are based in symmetries, which are themselves described by Group Theory - again algebra. But I don't run into this attitude much any more. The construction workers at my local dive bar have a healthy respect for algebra! Rowan. On Wed, 12 Nov 2008, Fred lunnon wrote:
As I waited at the checkout of our local wholefood shop, a lady who I know to be both literate and equipped with a technical background --- besides a number of other attributes which, though perhaps not immediately relevant to the discussion, hardly serve to encourage coherent impromptu cogitation on the part of an elderly academic --- conveyed to me an enquiry posed by her teenage daughter, along the lines of:
"You're a mathematician" (always an ominous opener, I have observed) "--- what's the use of algebra?"
I think I did eventually manage to marshall a reasonably convincing reply. But I wondered what would other people here have told her?
Fred Lunnon
_______________________________________________ math-fun mailing list math-fun@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/math-fun
participants (4)
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Fred lunnon -
Joshua Zucker -
Rowan Hamilton -
Thane Plambeck