Math question - Page 3 - Simply Maya User Community

# 31 06-08-2009 , 04:34 PM

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...and I think I've reached the limits of my memory and brain, so I'll forward you:

https://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52613.html

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Hope I've helped a little bit anyway...

(runs off to find a pipe...)

-stwert

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# 32 06-08-2009 , 07:23 PM

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Haven't gone into complex numbers yet... that's next year, but thanks - nice thread user added image

first thing I've seen in this subject that's possible to understand.

I like the part where the universe imploded user added image

Benny

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# 33 06-08-2009 , 09:44 PM

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what kind of math teachers do you have if they say the square root of a number is always positive??
it's clearly obvious that that's not true.... (-x) * (-x) = x^2

but then maybe they just told you guys that to keep things simple

it happens...

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# 34 06-08-2009 , 10:09 PM

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Sorry... I may have made a mistake there??... I meant to say that you can't take the square root of a negative number... no fault of my math teachers...

My point was that if x is negative, then ((x)^.5)^2) is undefined...

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Last edited by stwert; 06-08-2009 at 10:21 PM.

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# 35 06-08-2009 , 10:23 PM

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Originally posted by stwert
Sorry... I may have made a mistake there??... I meant to say that you can't take the square root of a negative number... no fault of my math teachers...

My point was that if x is negative, then ((x)^.5)^2) is undefined...

Originally Posted by

He was talking to BennyK (at least I think he was XD):
'Originally posted by BennyK
My math teacher told me that... Same one who couldn't give me a satisfactory answer for this question...'

https://users.ecs.soton.ac.uk/as28g11/

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# 36 06-08-2009 , 10:31 PM

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aah, sorry for the confusion, yeah it was to benny user added image

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# 37 22-08-2009 , 10:39 PM

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Believe it or not, I used to specialize in applied mathematics in the university. The best answer I can give is that it depends on the context.

That 'y' and 'x' are not there purely as arbitrary figures. Even as a symbol, they are used to represent something and are used for a reason. I used to wonder about it too until I begin to see that equations don't exist in isolation.

As in, what's the context? Calculus? Or are you dealing more on geometric equations or are you considering the complex numbers space as well? (What are you trying to prove/disprove?). I'm sorry if it sounds vague, but I had forgotten the actual examples. The above is what my prof advised and explained and it seemed to make sense to me.

But if I recall, the (associative? can't recall) law for powers hold for all integer values for power. If my memory isn't shot, I think it even holds for complex values for power.

All in all, I'd say that you shouldn't worry about it. And if you want a serious answer, approach a maths professor (a non-specialist-maths prof may give an incomplete answer). The average teacher's knowledge of mathematics may not be complete.

Though to be fair, the maths profs I know tend to speak in pig Latin... Maybe you can find one who speaks a language from Earth...

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# 38 22-08-2009 , 10:39 PM

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# 39 23-08-2009 , 10:55 AM

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Hehe
Thanks for the reply,
What I managed to understand so far is that this question is probably not meant to be understood by an 11'th grade student...
Or as my math teacher likes to say whenever she doesn't feel like thinking to much: "That's for when you'll be studying at a university"

Thanks anyway,
Benny

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# 40 24-08-2009 , 04:40 PM

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Originally posted by BennyK
Hehe
Thanks for the reply,
What I managed to understand so far is that this question is probably not meant to be understood by an 11'th grade student...
Or as my math teacher likes to say whenever she doesn't feel like thinking to much: "That's for when you'll be studying at a university"

Thanks anyway,
Benny

Originally Posted by

Don't worry about it. It'll make a lot of sense when you're in the higher level of maths. But it'll likely only really make sense if you specialize in mathematics.

In which case, you'll then be asking... Hey wait a minute, prof you said that "blah blah blah"... But that doesn't really make sense.

To which he'll reply, it'll make much more sense when you do your phd and specialize in "blah blah blah"...

It's a vicious :hug: (but interesting user added image

:blush: :headbang: user added image

:angery:

) cycle.

Actually, for my friends and me at least, it's so mind boggling that we can't even ask what we don't know. We just have a strange nagging feeling that something is not quite right. I'm always surprised whenever my calculations and proof are actually correct.
:blush:

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# 41 24-08-2009 , 06:11 PM

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Originally posted by Darkover
Don't worry about it. It'll make a lot of sense when you're in the higher level of maths. But it'll likely only really make sense if you specialize in mathematics.

In which case, you'll then be asking... Hey wait a minute, prof you said that "blah blah blah"... But that doesn't really make sense.

To which he'll reply, it'll make much more sense when you do your phd and specialize in "blah blah blah"...

It's a vicious :hug: (but interesting :blush: :headbang: :angery: ) cycle.

Originally Posted by

I wonder what the professors do when they think something doesn't make sense :p

When in doubt, delete history and freeze transformations.

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# 42 24-08-2009 , 10:18 PM

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Originally posted by BennyK
I wonder what the professors do when they think something doesn't make sense :p

Originally Posted by

They most likely smoke a pipe.

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# 43 25-08-2009 , 11:49 AM

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Originally posted by Mayaniac
They most likely smoke a pipe.

Originally Posted by

Actually, the maths (and only maths) professors in my university are pretty heavy into sports. They play tennis or basketball often in the afternoons despite being quite old.
Heck, they even challenge the students to a profs vs students game of basketball every semester. So I figure they probably will do sports and THEN smoke a pipe if something doesn't make sense.

ACTUAL ANECDOTE: Professor Andrew Wiles solved the Fermat's Last Theorem in 1995. Read his ordeal if you're interested. What a top notch professor did when something doesn't make sense to him. (I think he all but locked himself up in the house to work on the problem until it is solved.)

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# 44 25-08-2009 , 08:43 PM

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Originally posted by Darkover
I think he all but locked himself up in the house to work on the problem until it is solved.

Originally Posted by

I believe that's what Einstein used to do... I remember seeing a biography a couple of years ago. Nothing new then.