Is there any point to learning math?

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Re: Is there any point to learning math?

Postby 52xMax » Sun Oct 04, 2015 5:49 pm

What they said. Plus:


note: JoCo acknowledges the chorus actually describes a Julia Set.
additional note: please don't put me on the spot asking me to explain the difference.
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Re: Is there any point to learning math?

Postby NathanLoiselle » Thu Oct 08, 2015 4:55 pm

No. It's a muslim plot to spread Islam across the world and dominate all of mankind.
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Re: Is there any point to learning math?

Postby ghijkmnop » Thu Oct 08, 2015 9:16 pm

Redacted
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Last edited by ghijkmnop on Mon Mar 18, 2019 6:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Is there any point to learning math?

Postby NathanLoiselle » Thu Oct 08, 2015 10:36 pm

No! No! No! It's a Muslim Commie plot! Don't listen to the others! They've been taken control of already! It's too late for them! Save yourself!!!
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Re: Is there any point to learning math?

Postby Bromo » Sat Oct 10, 2015 2:54 am

NathanLoiselle wrote:No! No! No! It's a Muslim Commie plot! Don't listen to the others! They've been taken control of already! It's too late for them! Save yourself!!!


You infidel! False prophet! May Allah smite thee with His wrath!

*Suddenly, Kevin get's a feeling that someone, somewhere, has died in a freak accident of some sort*

Allahu Akbar! *blows up building in celebration*
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Re: Is there any point to learning math?

Postby Matthew Notch » Sat Oct 10, 2015 3:22 am

This is an interesting thread, because it seems like even the people who are really proponents of math education are in favor of it almost entirely for educational reasons. That is to say, it gives you more things you know, and the question of whether those things are really useful or not stays unanswered. "It is a new way of looking at the world" is nice, but there's not much wrong with the old way of looking at the world either. The only difference is being, perhaps, more correct in certain exchanges. If you don't really give a damn about being correct in front of other smart people, as I don't, then it probably doesn't matter that much.

But I also like math. Don't tell anyone I said that. I'm not great at it so that sucks, but when I actually do something skillful with math, it's a nice feeling. I really don't care if it has much benefit beyond that because it's just nice to have in mind. But that, again, is not really an answer to the question.
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Re: Is there any point to learning math?

Postby DoglovingJim » Thu Nov 19, 2015 4:25 pm

And so the great serpent Lucifer said, "put the alphabet in math".

Image
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Re: Is there any point to learning math?

Postby CarrieVS » Thu Nov 19, 2015 4:58 pm

What was the question? Looks like the roots of a sextic equation, which is something I've never been faced with to solve. Given it has two integer roots, I'd imagine it reduces easily enough to a quartic. Looks fun.
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Re: Is there any point to learning math?

Postby Taluun » Thu Nov 19, 2015 5:21 pm

CarrieVS wrote:Looks fun.


This is why we can't have nice things.

But seriously I agree.
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Re: Is there any point to learning math?

Postby jbobsully11 » Sat Nov 21, 2015 2:28 am

DoglovingJim wrote:And so the great serpent Lucifer said, "put the alphabet in math".]

That looked like CourseCompass; I've done math and econ homework on that site. It was the best, because you could put as much (or as little) effort into it as you wanted, with the extra example problems they gave either helping you figure out what to do and why, or giving you a pattern on which to base your answer to the problem without having to really think (or so I've heard...).

Spoiler: show
Anyway, assuming I did the math right and there were only whole number coefficients, the polynomial should be 2x^6-39x^5-3x^4-440x^2-300x-6000, or some constant multiple thereof.

You're all welcome.
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Re: Is there any point to learning math?

Postby mancityfooty » Sat Nov 21, 2015 2:34 am

I have to do different angles and things at work. It's easier to search for a triangle calculator online than to dig up my booklet that would tell me the same things if I just calculated things out.
My high school math teacher:
"Are you going to carry a calculator around with you everywhere?"
Modern me:
"See, I have a thing that can make calls and has internet access. But I just use it too look at cat videos."
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Re: Is there any point to learning math?

Postby Malfeasinator » Tue Nov 24, 2015 10:50 pm

Watch any videos by Vi Hart. Except the Turducken-duckenen one. Math can be recreational. Fun. I know that sounds weird.

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Re: Is there any point to learning math?

Postby Kivutar » Tue Nov 24, 2015 11:22 pm

Well, if you don't have a decent understanding of basic math, you are open to being cheated financially (when say investing, getting a mortgage, etc).
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Re: Is there any point to learning math?

Postby NathanLoiselle » Wed Nov 25, 2015 1:51 am

No! Jbobsully11! You must not solve the equation! It'll summon dark creatures from the void!

...coincidentally,

A lizard looked into the void and the void looked back and said ... "Woah, lizard."
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Re: Is there any point to learning math?

Postby Windy » Fri Nov 27, 2015 2:21 am

Ever since calculators were invented, no.
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