Quote:
Originally Posted by ZOO
It's too bad there hasn't been any innovative, intelligent, and entrepreneurial spirit since the early part of the 20th Century . . . that "new" math has really put a damper on new ideas and products.
|
Not sure if this is supposed to be green or if your serious but I would argue that the spirit of entrepreneurialism is alive and well in this country - maybe now more then ever. Not sure if math has much to do with it though.
My daughter is taking algebra (in 6th grade) and my Son is taking geometry (10th grade) and it seems like they are teaching it the way I was years ago. I don't know if it is the best way though.
Seems like higher math is really about understanding the various 'tricks' to getting to the results. To truly understand the logic reasoning to the solution approach isn't easy to teach and even tougher to comprehend.
Quote:
|
Principia Mathematica is the book Russell wrote with Alfred North Whitehead where they gave a logical foundation of Mathematics by developing the Theory of Types that obviated the Russell's paradox. Some idea of the scope and comprehensiveness of the “Principia” can be gleaned from the fact that it takes over 360 pages to prove definitively that 1 + 1 = 2.
|
What I tell my kids is that there may or may not be a time in the future when you have to apply algebra or geometry or any type of math but what you will have to do is follow a process by which to solve a problem and that is what math teaches you to do. Someone has already figured out the process, albeit complicated, just apply some thought and chug through it. If your really good you will look to make that process better if not then at least you can follow directions.