Mathematics Thread

What is the hardest math you learned?

  • Calculus (specify in comments)

    Votes: 69 35.0%
  • Trigonometry

    Votes: 27 13.7%
  • (Enriched) Geometry

    Votes: 18 9.1%
  • Equations (specify)

    Votes: 7 3.6%
  • Graphing Equations (specify)

    Votes: 5 2.5%
  • Basic Algebra (specify)

    Votes: 9 4.6%
  • I can do better!

    Votes: 49 24.9%
  • What kind of math is that?!

    Votes: 13 6.6%

  • Total voters
    197

IanTheCuber

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Ok, I found a scientific calculator, and it is really old and works great. But some of the buttons are scratched out, and I can't figure out what their purpose is. After the calculator part is over, maybe this could be an official math thread, where you can post videos and theorems anytime you want. Any math is avaliable. So, the first button is starting for tomorrow:

To a 1, it does nothing
To a 2, it does nothing
To a 3, it goes to 6
To a 4, it goes to 24
To a 5, it goes to 120
To a 6, it goes to 720
To a 7, it goes to 5,040
To an 8, it goes to 40,320
To a 9, it goes to 362,880
To a 10, it goes to 3,628,800
To an 11, it goes to 39,916,800
To a 12, on an 8-digit calculator it overflows
 
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Not sure whether you put this thread in "Help/Suggestions" intentionally, but it doesn't belong there.

To a 1, it does nothing
To a 2, it does nothing
To a 3, it goes to 6
To a 4, it goes to 24
To a 5, it goes to 120
To a 6, it goes to 720
To a 7, it goes to 5,040
To an 8, it goes to 40,320
To a 9, it goes to 362,880
To a 10, it goes to 3,628,800
To an 11, ti goes to 39,916,800
To a 12, on an 8-digit calculator it overflows
Factorial!
 
Ok, I found a scientific calculator, and it is really old and works great. But some of the buttons are scratched out, and I can't figure out what their purpose is. After the calculator part is over, maybe this could be an official math thread, where you can post videos and theorems anytime you want. Any math is avaliable. So, the first button is starting for tomorrow:

To a 1, it does nothing
To a 2, it does nothing
To a 3, it goes to 6
To a 4, it goes to 24
To a 5, it goes to 120
To a 6, it goes to 720
To a 7, it goes to 5,040
To an 8, it goes to 40,320
To a 9, it goes to 362,880
To a 10, it goes to 3,628,800
To an 11, ti goes to 39,916,800
To a 12, on an 8-digit calculator it overflows

!

I has a TI-89 Titanium ^o^

Also, why does
CodeCogsEqn.gif

equal (pi^2)/6?
 
I never use a calculator. It makes it unfair for all the other kids in class. Currently in geometry prep. Already gone through algebra 1.

But doesn't everybody else use a calculator also?
At least my middle school does.

I was so surprised when i came to the US because everybody was using calculators in class.
NOBODY was allowed to use calcs in korea.
 
!

I has a TI-89 Titanium ^o^

Also, why does
CodeCogsEqn.gif

equal (pi^2)/6?

Well, one way that you can find it is that the Fourier series for x^2 is Pi^2/3 + SUM[4*((-1)^n)/n^2*cos(nx)]

There is a theorem for Fourier series that if f(x) is piecewise continuous, has period 2Pi, and one sided derivatives exist at all x in the interval, then f(x) actually equals the Fourier series. So we can express a function in terms of an infinite series which I think is cool.

Anyway, then we plug in Pi to both sides of the equation.

x^2 =Pi^2/3 + SUM[4*((-1)^n)*cos(nx)/n^2]

Pi^2 = Pi^2/3 + SUM[4*((-1)^n*cos(n*Pi)/n^2]

2*Pi^2/3 = SUM[4*((-1)^n*(-1)^n/n^2]

2*Pi^2/3 = SUM[4/n^2]

Pi^2/6 = SUM[1/n^2]

I think that there are other ways but I can't recall them off the top of my head.

EDIT: Fourier series is the process of writing a function as an infinite series. It is really applicable in engineering and physics.
 
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I'm taking BC calculus, but it doesn't seem that hard. Perhaps I'm doing it wrong.

Also, it's a little odd for "themathenthusiast" to not be able to recognize factorials...
 
I never took calc or pre calc for that matter in highschool because they never offered it, so I had to start at calc1 last semester which was just limits and differentiation whereas calc 2 is integrals or techniques of integration at my school.
 
To a 1, it does nothing
To a 2, it does nothing
To a 3, it goes to 6
To a 4, it goes to 24
To a 5, it goes to 120
To a 6, it goes to 720
To a 7, it goes to 5,040
To an 8, it goes to 40,320
To a 9, it goes to 362,880
To a 10, it goes to 3,628,800
To an 11, ti goes to 39,916,800
To a 12, on an 8-digit calculator it overflows

Factorial

\( e^{i\tau}=1 \)
 
Last edited:
Ok, I found a scientific calculator, and it is really old and works great. But some of the buttons are scratched out, and I can't figure out what their purpose is. After the calculator part is over, maybe this could be an official math thread, where you can post videos and theorems anytime you want. Any math is avaliable. So, the first button is starting for tomorrow:

To a 1, it does nothing
To a 2, it does nothing
To a 3, it goes to 6
To a 4, it goes to 24
To a 5, it goes to 120
To a 6, it goes to 720
To a 7, it goes to 5,040
To an 8, it goes to 40,320
To a 9, it goes to 362,880
To a 10, it goes to 3,628,800
To an 11, ti goes to 39,916,800
To a 12, on an 8-digit calculator it overflows

This took me a couple of minutes to understand, but I've only memorized this function for 1, 2, 9, and 10.
If I'm correct, the button does the factorial of the original number.

Algebra 1 doesn't need a graphing calculator, so I'm just using a TI 30 XII-S. Once I get into Geometry Honors in high school next year I'm probably going to get a TI-84 Plus Silver, but I really want a TI nspire calculator.

Sarah, what math have you been to? I'm assuming that you're a college student, or at least a senior in high school.
 
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The poll really makes no sense outside the American education system.

In year 12 (final year of high school) I did:
Mathematical Methods: "Methods deals with concepts including differential calculus, integral calculus, circular functions, probability and the behaviour of functions with a single real variable."
Specialist Mathematics: "The subject covers concepts including conic sections, complex numbers, differential equations, kinematics, vector calculus and mechanics."
 
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