Interactive Mathematics Site Info

Author

I developed this site when I was a lecturer in mathematics at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore.

I now maintain the site as an interest and to keep abreast of what is going on in the world of Web development, especially where it involves the presentation of mathematics on the Web.

Murray Bourne, Singapore, 2008.

Contact

I hesitate to put my email address here as spam is a huge problem when you have a website.

Please use the Comments, Questions? form to contact me.

I will answer you by email if I am sure you are a human! :-)

Copyright Issues

Images used in this site are either

• created by me (almost all of the formulas and graphs)
• incorporated into the site believing them to be in the public domain (certain photographs and clip art)

If I have inadvertantly infringed copyright or used a copyrighted image without permission, please inform me and I will rectify the oversight.

All other material, (including Flash and LiveMath manipulatives) except where otherwise credited, is copyright © Murray Bourne, 1997-2008.

Polls

Who are You?

A poll in April 2007 revealed the following about who visits Interactive Mathematics:

A math student
  95%

A math instructor
  4%

Just looking
  2%

Total votes: 1000

Why are you Here?

A poll in Jun 2007 revealed the following about why visitors come to Interactive Mathematics:

Studying for an exam

  49%

Doing homework

  27%

Doing research

  24%

Total votes: 1000

What's the best time to study Math?

A poll in July 2007 revealed what we all suspected - that afternoon math classes may not be such a good idea...

Morning (6AM to noon)

  32%

Night (10PM to 1AM)

  28%

Evening (6PM to 10PM)

  24%

Afternoon (noon to 6PM)

  15%

Total votes: 1000

Music when Studying Math?

A poll in Aug 2007 revealed some surprises about your music listening preferences while doing math. I expected both "no music" and "classical music" to be lower than they actually were.

No music

  35%

Easy listening

  28%

Loud music

  21%

Classical music

  16%

Total votes: 1000

Is Math Useful?

A poll in Sep-Oct 2007 asked if readers believed the mathematics that they were currently studying will be useful in their future career.

It was encouraging that over half felt that it would be useful and just 11% felt that they were not in a position to answer.

The math you are studying now - how useful is it for your future job?

Very useful

  51%

Not useful

  24%

Somewhat useful

  14%

Don't know yet

  11%

Total votes: 1000

Math Software

A poll in Nov-Dec 2007 asked if readers (or their teachers, or both) used mathematics software.

It is disturbing to me that less than half of respondents even use mathematics software. Such software has the potential to completely change mathematics education - and the efficiency of the way we do many things.

Do you use math software (like Matlab, Scientific Notebook, Mathematica)?

I have never used math software

  54%

My teacher and I both use it

  29%

I do but my teacher does not

  9%

My teacher does but I don't

  9%

Total votes: 1000

Feelings about Math

A poll in Dec 2007 - Jan 2008 asked how readers felt about mathematics.

The best way to describe how I feel about math is:

I enjoy math

  41%

It's OK but I find it hard

  31%

I hate math

  22%

No strong opinion

  6%

Total votes: 1000

Studying for a Math Test

A poll in Jan/Feb 2008 asked readers whether they study for a math test alone, or with friends.

Poll results:

Alone

  72%

With one friend

  14%

With a group of friends

  14%

Total votes: 1000

Favorite Math Activities

Poll results:

A poll in Feb/Mar 2008 asked readers about their favorite math activities. It is surprising (to me) how many chose "algebra". Really?

What is your favorite math activity?

Doing algebra

  39%

None of these

  22%

Drawing graphs

  15%

Doing calculator

  14%

Doing geometry

  9%

Total votes: 1000

Classroom Computers

A poll in Mar/Apr 2008 asked readers: "How many computers are used in your math classroom?"

Poll results:

None

  46%

Most students use one

  23%

One

  22%

Two

  9%

Total votes: 1000

Link to Interactive Mathematics

Feel free to link to Interactive Mathematics. You can use the following code.

<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.intmath.com/"> <img src="http://www.intmath.com/images/intmathlogo.gif" alt="Interactive Mathematics logo"></a> <br><span style="font-size:10pt;"> <a href="http://www.intmath.com/">Interactive Mathematics</a></span></p>

So it will look like:

Interactive Mathematics

You can use this description:

Description
Interactive Mathematics uses LiveMath, Flash and Scientific Notebook to enhance mathematics lessons.

Topics range from grade 8 algebra to college-level Laplace Transformations.

Who Links Here?

Go to Sites that Link to Interactive Mathematics.

Site Stats

So far, this site has...

• 5200 Images (gif, jpg and png)
• 840 HMTL files (actually, mostly PHP files)
• 150 LiveMath files (see LiveMath highlights)
• 50 Scientific Notebook files (see SNB info)
• 14 Flash files (see Flash highlights)
• 6 Videos

And growing!

Why is Everything so Big on this Site?

Interactive Mathematics was originally designed for use in the classroom, so fonts and diagrams are big.

I considered reducing the size of everything, but this would involve processing over 5000 math images - not a lot of fun...

Also, one of the key complaints of Internet users is that font sizes are too small. A lot of math sites have equations that are unreadable because they are so small. Enjoy being able to easily read Interactive Mathematics!

Testimonials

Joshua, England: Just wanted to say your site is excellent. I’ve understood more about differential equations here than I did in an entire semester at university and I now feel like I stand a chance of passing the module and am motivated once more to work. Instead of bogging your explanations down with technical jargon you lay out a clear concise method with thorough answers to all exmamples on a clean and attractive site. Honestly can’t give you enough praise - thank you!

Zeep, USA: Thanks for this site. I was having a ton of trouble with Laplace transforms and it’s tremendously helpful to have examples with explanations. Now I can do my homework without a bottle of aspirin.

Catherine, Virginia, USA: My God... thank you so much. Quite honestly, spending 10 minutes looking at your site, I feel I understand more about algebra than I ever did in my High school math courses. When I took my SAT in 2004, I scored a 640 verbal and a 480 math... quite clearly unbalanced. I just never "got" it. I want to thank you... hopefully I at least won’t feel lost or completely hopeless when presented with a mathematical equation.

Amanda, Austin, TX, USA: Hi, I am a freshman at University of Texas-Austin and I just wanted to let you know that this site is AMAZING. You really broke trig down for me, and I have a final tomorrow, I feel so much more confident! Thank you so much! You have no idea how much you helped! :)

Margaret, Madison, USA: This is the only site that I’ve come across that can give a good understanding of Fourier series! Thank you very, very much. The graphs that show the sequential transformation of the graph of the stepped function is excellent.

Dion, Australia: This site is awesome. I should have stayed at home and learnt from this site rather than going to lectures. Thank you!

Oliver, New Zealand: I was battling for hours to try and teach myself how to do step functions from my textbook, with no success. After reading the explanation on here I learned how to do them within 15 minutes, thanks!

Laura, USA: I love your site... it is the best thing that I have found on the Web...it brings the problems and solutions alive and it gets me to shift my paradigm easily...thank you so much, you’re the best! I mean it!

Rechad, Mauritius: You’ve done a great job with the IntMath site. Congratulations and thanks on behalf of all those students, teachers, parents and others who love IntMath! (Btw, I am an IT teacher, but also a "math student" hoping to catch up on my math with your fantastic site. I also encourage my math colleagues to check your site.)

G. Connolly, UK: Working with computers I am keenly aware of the power of maths. I think I have learned more about algebra in a hour on this site than a whole year as a school kid. I cannot understate the importance of explaining EVERYTHING as you go along; it really helps to understand WHY something can be done rather than just accept it because someone tells you to. In short, well done and thanks. Keep up the good work!

Sue, Mashpee, MA, USA: Loving your site! I am using it to help me study for the Massachussetts Teacher’s licensure Math test. The study guide I bought is full of errors. Your website is not full of errors. You website has been helping me remember math from my college days 20 years ago! Incredible job you have done!

Given, Capetown, South Africa: Your website is really helping me. I wish I was one of your students! Continue with the good work that you’re doing. GOD BLESS YOU

Heather, North Carolina, USA: It’s encourging to use a resource that promotes understanding how you arrive at an answer as being as important as the answer itself.

William, UK: You have helped me enormously with calculus. Thank you intmath! This is possibly the most useful maths website I have come across.

Jade, USA: I haven’t had a math class in four years, since high school, and i am having to jump in head first into trig. After finding this site, i not only understand trig, but i am actually excited about going to class and taking my tests, just to see how much this site has actually helped improve my understanding of it! Thank you so much, this site is absolutely wonderful and I WILL tell others about it!

MERLOT: This is a well-designed, mathematically accurate, technologically dependable demonstration/tutorial site that should be useful as a complement to traditional courses in college algebra, pre-calculus, and first-year calculus.

[See more reviews of Interactive Mathematics by MERLOT, which stands for the Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching.]

Bafana, Johannesburg, South Africa: You have made me one of the best students in Mathematics, even now I’m able to help my friends. Keep it up!

Aaron, USA: Wow! This amazing site helped me more than any other math site on the web! I appreciate all your hard work in making this site! Thanks a million!

Edward, Singapore: thanks for this great site u have made.. i am a secondary a-maths student who’s taking o level this year, from ur explanation on this site i have not only learnt how to do qns but also started to understand. i hope this site will remain here for as long as possible to provide help for those intrested or weak in maths :)

Ricardo, USA: The IntMath web site is amazing!! It really puts the things I’m learning in class into perspective!

Liliana, Mexico: Wow, this site is wonderful, so professional, and the explanations are so clear, the applications of mathematical concepts to real life are so interesting for the students!! Thanks so much for creating such a great website!!

Dennis, Philippines: This is the best math website I have ever seen. Your site offers a lot of knowledge in mathematics. It serves as a compilation of topics from algebra to higher ones. Thanks for the creator/author of this site.

Michael, USA: I love the richness of the information and simplicity it’s presented in! This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. My teacher takes ages to cover a subject like Matrices...here I did it in a day...WOW.

Lawrence, Paris: This is an excellent site for learning and teaching mathematics. So far the best I have come across--and i have been searching a long time. I especially like the fact that you make it freely available even for students in developing countries. Keep up the good work, and God Bless You!

Shenton, Canada: Please don’t reduce the image sizes. I’ve just discovered your site and like it very much because everything is big and full of pictures. I choose your site to learn from instead of the other sites that I found on the internet because it easy to read and understand. Thanks for making math fun to learn.

Michael, Ireland: Your mathematics site is absolutely brilliant and so easy to navigate through your "sitemap". Hidden answers are excellent and LiveMath makes the site so dynamic also the aside information is super. It took a lot of effort to produce what you have achieved and I hope you have a good sponsor to compensate you for same so thanks very much for enjoyable maths.

Minty, USA: OMG thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you! I can t thank you enough. hehe! I was stuck on this problem for about 6 days and it was due tomorrow, and i was throwing approximately 5 fits, before i found this website. THANK YOU SOO0o MUCH! YOU JUST SAVED MY LIFE!!!! hehe! ^_^

Martin, UK: I am a student studying engineering in the UK, and have found your site very useful when it comes to my maths course.

Farhan, USA: Your site is very good and the material provided can be easily learnt.

April, USA: Thank you!!!!! thank you! thank you! thank you for a great site!!!!

Wariner, Cape Town, South Africa: Your site was the best resource I have yet come across for maths. The examples are comprehensive and well explained. I used your site mainly for LaPlace transforms. It really helped so much, I cannot even begin to describe.

Samuel, UK: This gives a much clearer and practical understanding of math

Sanjay, Fiji Islands: This is a very excellent website. I really like the material covered and also LiveMath examples. Wished this was available to me years ago. Congratulations on the sucess of putting it all in a nutshell. Thanks and good luck.

Anmol, UK: Congratulations on making a BRILLIANT site!! I appreciate your commitment very much. Detailed information is presented in a readable way.

Sandipan, India: Your site is great work. I do believe that it will help many people who are pursuing courses in distance learning mode. During my physics days (University of Calcutta) many things were not clear to me. It was due to lack of visualization of some mathematical results. Now I’ve got a clear picture after going through your site, 6 years later. Thanks for giving me some good brain food!

Dioscoro, USA: I find your site excellent! I am teaching math. Thanks a lot and more power.

Clarence, Belize (Central America): I am a student at the university of belize studying math education... i am happy to use your interactive mathematics... great website

Avinash, India: I was looking for examples and problems in Laplace Transformation. This site is amazing. It cleared all my doubts. All the problems have been explained in very good manner. I am indebted to you. The contents are presented much lucid way. This site is a boon. Thank You

Melody, USA: This is one of the most helpful math sites on the web. Thank you so much and keep up the good work!

Georg Schoen, Germany: Thank you so much. Your simple introduction to the formula for the quotient-rule is much, much clearer than my textbook. I liked the helpful admonitions, too.

James Lim, Malaysia: Hi, there’s only one word I can give you: Excellent! You know, it’s hard to get someone like u to teach in a basic way from the basic principle. Enjoy your "why learn..." before you start a lesson on it. Moreover I appreciate your maths proving which I can understand. Continue your great work k:)

Stephanie, USA: Your website was very helpful to me. Thanks for your helping me better understand these concepts!!

Christine, Australia: Thank you for your excellent section on negative numbers. My daughter does distance education math. Your terrific example of "the temperature change over the previous 7 hours" helped her understand multiplication of integers. She’s just one of those kids who says "How can you expect me to do it if I don’t understand it?" Thanks again.

Tom, New Zealand: I appreciate the efforts that you have made to teach maths to other humans over the internet. Using Livemath is pretty cool too - helps a lot to be able to fiddle with stuff. Thanks again for a nice site.

Zander, Australia: This site is superb. It clearly identifies the problems students have with maths and through a step by step guide, outlines the right methods and procedures needed in answering the questions. Thank you Interactive Maths!

Ashutosh, India: Intmath.com is excellent math tutorial.

Daetan, StumbleUpon.com: Awesome explanation of math concepts

Isaac, USA: Thanks for the good site. It is very educative.

Joel, Singapore: Your new site is awesome. It’s a whole new feel. Attractive and easier to navigate too.

Eudoxio, Mexico: OK, amigo, this is the best math place I have found in Web. It’s easy to understand, clear and fun. I’m not student but I like maths and this is great. It’s a good job. Felicitaciones¡¡¡¡¡