The Best Calculator

[emmline]

What an empathetic bunch we all turned out not to be. Now get to class on time and listen to your professor. Eat a good breakfast.

Well, the breakfast part is the truth.
But I don't think there's a lack of empathy inherent in telling it like it is. That is, to succeed in an algebra class, one must learn to do
algebra problems in the proper step-wise manner. The best means of acquiring this skill, imho, is to do ALL the practice problems that
you have access to. Generally you have a text or workbook which has an answer key, because you need to be able to be sure you're getting it right.
But that's the only way, far as I know.
When I took the GRE, I bought about 5 different study guides and did all the math they offered. Do enough problems and the various types they throw at you eventually look familiar.

[mutepointe]

Yep. Emm's in Mom mode today. Full steam ahead. Take no prisoners. But if you do take prisoners, make them eat their veggies and wash behind their ears.

[emmline]

Yep. Emm's in Mom mode today. Full steam ahead. Take no prisoners. But if you do take prisoners, make them eat their veggies and wash behind their ears.

That mode pretty much gets hardwired in after a few years.
No matter how large a person I'm walking through a parking lot with, I still grab his/her arm and steer him/her out of the way of traffic.

[Flyingcursor]

I used to use a calculater with RPN. I'd forgotten all about that. It was great. I don't know why they don't teach it starting in first grade.

[fearfaoin]

I used to use a calculater with RPN. I'd forgotten all about that. It was great. I don't know why they don't teach it starting in first grade.

Suffix notations is a little hard to read/write.

55 67 +

The numbers kind of run together that way...
Infix is much easier on paper:

55 + 67

But RPN is cool on calculators. No need for
parentheses. It always seemed ironic that
in the US we tell "dumb Polish" jokes, but
they can come up with such a great notation.

[dwest]

But RPN is cool on calculators. No need for
parentheses. It always seemed ironic that
in the US we tell "dumb Polish" jokes, but
they can come up with such a great notation.

Dumb the Polish are not, of course I share the same bigotry that Norman Davies has, but if you insert "English" into those jokes they're funnier anyway.

[fel bautista]

I've got a plethora of HP calculators around...somewhere. Hp35 both new and old at work, I can't find the new one that replaced the old one. Go figure. HP48 at home, 2 HP41 in various states of disassembly. And an HP32 that I salvaged the LEDs...don't ask.

As a comment to Emmline's post...When I helped my kids with algebra, I made sure that they understood the steps with no shortcuts. I was probably over-rigorous but I wanted them to understand the "why". Of course, none of them went into the hard sciences, but that's the way it works. Oh, and no one liked my HPs- they all went and bought TI 83s.

I loaded an rpn calculator on my iPhone.

[Lambchop]

Actually, I just transferred colleges in a different state, and for some reason they won't accept my math classes here. I already know the stuff, it is just time consuming. I need a calculator where I can get through it fast. It really sucks that I have to do the classes over again.

If you're taking these classes again, do so with the thought that there is a good reason for it. Never underestimate how much you can learn from the experience. If you already know the material, then spend your time learning it in more depth.

Besides, if you'd spent as much time working those problems as you have trying to find a shortcut, Grasshopper, you'd be well on your way to having them finished by now.

Lamby
"Wax-on, wax-off"

[pipersgrip]

Actually, I don't need it anymore. They let me take some test, and I got 100 on two of them and 90's on the other two. Fortunately, I don't have to retake any classes, the dean said my scores were excellent.

[MTGuru]

Here's my favorite calculator:



Post Versalog 1460, vintage 1968. Fel ... eat your heart out.

OK, I also have an HP-28S RPN from 1988.

Hey, congrats WC ... good show!

[fel bautista]

Here's my favorite calculator:



Post Versalog 1460, vintage 1968. Fel ... eat your heart out.

Yes I do want one . LUST LUST