Studying Mathematics Thread

[EgoDeath]

What do you mean? I want to teach MYSELF algebra. I don't want to teach it to others lol.

.....

..... one of these days I will learn to fucking read.  Really.  Probably.  Probably not.

Although, teaching does seem like an interesting career. I know even professors in the US are often not paid all too well but it seems like a job where, if you're passionate, you can make a difference. Getting to teach people about a subject I'm passionate about would be great... especially considering how many college professors, many of whom seem to be hired by universities simply to conduct research, seem to prioritize their research at the universities above actually teaching their students. I am saying this from personal experience as well as from stories I hear from friends and acquaintances who go to different universities.

But who knows?

[GrandizerII]

You have my admiration, Fireball. I will continue work on them later tonight. Had to take a good break from them.

In typical Aliza-fashion I way over thought it and then I realized that it's an elementary geometry problem. The instructions specifically say not to use trigonometry. Don't overthink it.

I know. Still very challenging though. And I still haven't had the time to go back to them yet.

[Reltzik]

In typical Aliza-fashion I way over thought it and then I realized that it's an elementary geometry problem. The instructions specifically say not to use trigonometry. Don't overthink it.

I know. Still very challenging though. And I still haven't had the time to go back to them yet.

I think the hardest part of these problems for me has been cordoning off the trig part of my brain.

[DodosAreDead]

I know. Still very challenging though. And I still haven't had the time to go back to them yet.

I spent an hour yesterday trying to figure it out.... every time I think I've got it I realize I've assumed something that shouldn't be.   
Hopefully I can get back to it this weekend.

[Aliza]

I know. Still very challenging though. And I still haven't had the time to go back to them yet.

I think the hardest part of these problems for me has been cordoning off the trig part of my brain.

Me too. My first thought was that it said it was a hard problem (like the world's hardest) or something, so I naturally imagined that there was some formula out there that would allow me to determine the sides of some of those triangles without knowing any lengths of any sides at all. If such a thing exists, it eluded me in my search. So I clicked the picture to find that the printable version was to scale. I measured the height and base of the triangle only to realize that scale is not the same thing as actual size. The values started getting really messy and I then noticed that the instructions say not to use trig.

Then I attacked it with a little linear algebra... which worked. But was needlessly invasive when the answer was much simpler.

[Reltzik]

I think the hardest part of these problems for me has been cordoning off the trig part of my brain.

Me too. My first thought was that it said it was a hard problem (like the world's hardest) or something, so I naturally imagined that there was some formula out there that would allow me to determine the sides of some of those triangles without knowing any lengths of any sides at all. If such a thing exists, it eluded me in my search. So I clicked the picture to find that the printable version was to scale. I measured the height and base of the triangle only to realize that scale is not the same thing as actual size. The values started getting really messy and I then noticed that the instructions say not to use trig.

Then I attacked it with a little linear algebra... which worked. But was needlessly invasive when the answer was much simpler.

I tried linear algebra and discovered I had an underdetermined system.

.... OH!

I just figured it out!

I can derive trigonometry using basic geometry! HA! EASY!

..... grumblegrumblethatsnotcheatingYOUREcheatinggrumblegrumble....

[Aliza]

Me too. My first thought was that it said it was a hard problem (like the world's hardest) or something, so I naturally imagined that there was some formula out there that would allow me to determine the sides of some of those triangles without knowing any lengths of any sides at all. If such a thing exists, it eluded me in my search. So I clicked the picture to find that the printable version was to scale. I measured the height and base of the triangle only to realize that scale is not the same thing as actual size. The values started getting really messy and I then noticed that the instructions say not to use trig.

Then I attacked it with a little linear algebra... which worked. But was needlessly invasive when the answer was much simpler.

I tried linear algebra and discovered I had an underdetermined system.

.... OH!

I just figured it out!

I can derive trigonometry using basic geometry!  HA!  EASY!

..... grumblegrumblethatsnotcheatingYOUREcheatinggrumblegrumble....

It's a good question, though. You can really over think it, but it's a good puzzle.

[Fireball]

  Not sure how linear algebra would be of any use. Both of these can be solved by inspection without it.

[Aliza]

  Not sure how linear algebra would be of any use. Both of these can be solved by inspection without it.

Cause Reltzik and I were over-thinking it. Solve to a point where you have just enough of the angles and rather than just ... finding more angles by inspection, plug the values into a matrix and voila!

It's just that it's much simpler than that.

Spoiler that might ruin the fun if you're trying to figure it out on your own.

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I suspect people aren't seeing the different shapes in there and they're not mentally creating all the shapes that can be created.

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[Aliza]

..... grumblegrumblethatsnotcheatingYOUREcheatinggrumblegrumble....

I'm pretty sure the only thing that constitutes as cheating would be to actually use a protractor to measure the angles.