Summer:<\/b> And how will you use your summer (those of you in the Northern hemisphere)? I suggest that you consider doing a bit of math here and there during your holidays. You will beat the forgetting curve<\/a>, which is very important for future math success. <\/p>\n See also The summer math brain drain<\/a>.<\/p>\n WolframAlpha<\/a> is a new online tool can show you how to do math — and much more.<\/p>\n It is a \"computational knowledge engine\", based on the Mathematica<\/i> computer algebra system and it is one of the most significant recent online offerings.<\/p>\n Their aim<\/a> is to <\/p>\n ... make it possible to compute whatever can be computed about anything<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Wolfram Alpha has a search function, but it has more math capabilities than Google's<\/a>:<\/p>\n As of now, Wolfram|Alpha contains 10+ trillion of pieces of data, 50,000+ types of algorithms and models, and linguistic capabilities for 1000+ domains.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Those algorithms can help math students the most.<\/p>\n Enter something like \"graph sin x<\/a>\" and it will provide you with 2 plots showing different domains (first from -2pi to +2pi and the other from -20 to 20.)<\/p>\n Another example: If you enter \"x2<\/sup> + 3x − 2\", it will give you a wealth of useful information:<\/p>\n Two plots of y = x2<\/sup> + 3x − 2:<\/p>\n The solutions for x2<\/sup> + 3x − 2 = 0:<\/p>\n Minimum value of the function:<\/p>\n Calculus of the function f(x) = x2<\/sup> + 3x − 2:<\/p>\n It gives the steps for the integral of x2<\/sup> + 3x − 2:<\/p>\n Will it do my math homework for me?<\/b> As long as you know what to ask Wolfram Alpha, there is a good chance it will do most of your homework.<\/p>\n But is that a good thing? This is a great tool but it can be dangerous. There is a good chance your math skills will deteriorate if you use this too much and begin to rely on it. <\/p>\n My suggestion is to do your homework questions first and later check your solutions using Wolfram Alpha.<\/p>\n That link again: WolframAlpha<\/a>. Try some of their \"sample inputs\" when you get there.<\/p>\n Have we reached a \"point of inflection\" when it comes to house prices?<\/p>\n In the UK it appears that house prices have bottomed, but not so in the USA yet.<\/p>\n In this special article for this Newsletter, we learn what a point of inflection<\/b> really means and why it is important for your future job. It's also a good introduction to the concepts of maximum, minimum and rate of change graphs.<\/p>\n Go to: Point of inflection for house prices?<\/a><\/p>\n a) Will the DJIA follow the Nikkei down?<\/a> b) Friday Math movie - Kinetic Wave Sculptures<\/a> The following 2 articles are mentioned above:<\/p>\n c) Point of inflection for house prices?<\/a>
\n2. Math tip (b) - Wolfram Alpha<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\n
![\"wolfram-alpha-01\"](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/images\/2009\/05\/wolfram-alpha-01.gif\" "\\"wolfram-alpha-01\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"wolfram-alpha-02\"](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/images\/2009\/05\/wolfram-alpha-02.gif\" "\\"wolfram-alpha-02\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"wolfram-alpha-04\"](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/images\/2009\/05\/wolfram-alpha-04.gif\" "\\"wolfram-alpha-04\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"wolfram-alpha-03\"](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/images\/2009\/05\/wolfram-alpha-03.gif\" "\\"wolfram-alpha-03\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"wolfram-alpha-05\"](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/images\/2009\/05\/wolfram-alpha-05.gif\" "\\"wolfram-alpha-05\\"")
<\/p>\n
\n3. Math tip (c) - Point of Inflection<\/h2>\n
![\"pt-inflection-house-prices5\"](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/images\/2009\/05\/pt-inflection-house-prices5.gif\" "\\"pt-inflection-house-prices5\\"")
<\/p>\n
\n4. From the math blog<\/h2>\n
\nWill the DJIA follow Japan's Nikkei? The conditions are eerily similar to Japan's situation in the early 1990s.<\/p>\n
\nHere's some kinetic (moving) art based on trigonometry.<\/p>\n
\nHave UK house prices reached a turn around? What does \"point of inflection\" mean, anyway?<\/p>\n