Graphing....grrr....

Aluscia · 10-04-2002, 05:15 PM

Why is it that they have first-year students do all this work with high-exponent equations, and then expect us to sketch their graphs instead of just printing it out from Maple? I mean, we had to plug the stupid things to see what they look like into Maple in the first place... It just seems like a waste of time to sit there and try to copy something that you already had to figure out on the screen...

Sorry non-mathies.... school blues have got me down...

Gambit · 10-04-2002, 06:13 PM

Well, it would make sense if you weren't using a computer to graph them in the first place...

XMEN Ashaman DTM · 10-04-2002, 07:22 PM

That is supposed to teach you how a function behaves. Doing it on a computer doesn't give you the FULL effect that doing it by hand does. You know... Put in a few numbers, get a few numbers out... connect the dots.

They still make you do things by hand in higher math classes. "Plot this ellipse." "Do a surface plot of this equation." "Draw this magnetic field." etc.

Physics and math will have you do that.

Ambush_Bug · 10-06-2002, 12:10 AM

Asha nailed it, Laur. Same thing happens in physics, with experiments--we know the acceleromter will do X, but you have to build one ANYWAY.

Aluscia · 10-06-2002, 10:21 AM

This is why I'm a music student... Math sucks

Gambit · 10-07-2002, 05:30 AM

The funny thing about that statement is that music IS math.

Aluscia · 10-07-2002, 06:55 AM

Yes, but it's math I use without necessarily thinking about it.

10-04-2002, 05:15 PM	#1
Aluscia Emo Queen 1000th Thread Main Forum Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: In a subterranean complex. Age: 41 Posts: 2,346	Graphing....grrr.... Why is it that they have first-year students do all this work with high-exponent equations, and then expect us to sketch their graphs instead of just printing it out from Maple? I mean, we had to plug the stupid things to see what they look like into Maple in the first place... It just seems like a waste of time to sit there and try to copy something that you already had to figure out on the screen... Sorry non-mathies.... school blues have got me down... __________________ Favourite Song of the moment - Pyramid Song - Radiohead

10-04-2002, 06:13 PM	#2
Gambit Forum wh0re Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: DFW area, TX Posts: 744	Well, it would make sense if you weren't using a computer to graph them in the first place... __________________ XMEN member Card-carrying DTM OKL Fish-napper Though a program be but three lines long, someday it will have to be maintained. -The Tao of Programming

10-06-2002, 10:21 AM	#5
Aluscia Emo Queen 1000th Thread Main Forum Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: In a subterranean complex. Age: 41 Posts: 2,346	This is why I'm a music student... Math sucks __________________ Favourite Song of the moment - Pyramid Song - Radiohead

10-07-2002, 05:30 AM	#6
Gambit Forum wh0re Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: DFW area, TX Posts: 744	The funny thing about that statement is that music IS math. __________________ XMEN member Card-carrying DTM OKL Fish-napper Though a program be but three lines long, someday it will have to be maintained. -The Tao of Programming

10-07-2002, 06:55 AM	#7
Aluscia Emo Queen 1000th Thread Main Forum Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: In a subterranean complex. Age: 41 Posts: 2,346	Yes, but it's math I use without necessarily thinking about it. __________________ Favourite Song of the moment - Pyramid Song - Radiohead

10-04-2002, 07:22 PM	#3
XMEN Ashaman DTM Forum wh0re Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Age: 46 Posts: 965	That is supposed to teach you how a function behaves. Doing it on a computer doesn't give you the FULL effect that doing it by hand does. You know... Put in a few numbers, get a few numbers out... connect the dots. They still make you do things by hand in higher math classes. "Plot this ellipse." "Do a surface plot of this equation." "Draw this magnetic field." etc. Physics and math will have you do that.

10-06-2002, 12:10 AM	#4
Ambush_Bug Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 2001 Age: 46 Posts: 210	Asha nailed it, Laur. Same thing happens in physics, with experiments--we know the acceleromter will do X, but you have to build one ANYWAY.

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