At 07:09 PM Sunday 9/18/2005, The Fool wrote:
> From: Ronn!Blankenship <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> At 01:01 PM Sunday 9/18/2005, The Fool wrote:
> > > From: Robert G. Seeberger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > >
> > > http://physorg.com/news6555.html
> >
> >No, it just adds a layer of complexity, and removes an important
aspect
> >of math that is used by real-wold physics and calculus. Sines and
> >Cosines are important. Students taught this 'new math' would have
> >difficulties with higher math and physics.
>
>
> The blurb at the publisher's web site says:
>
>
> Applications
> Two dimensional geometry problems
> Surveying problems (Elementary)
> Surveying problems (Advanced)- Resection and Hansen's problems
> Boxes, pyramids, wedges and pagodas
> Physics---Projectile motion, Snell's law, Algebraic dynamics,
> Lorentzian addition of velocities (as in Einstein's special theory of
> relativity)
> Platonic solids
> Folium of Descartes and Bernoulli's lemniscate
> Five fold symmetry and regular polygons
> Calculus problems involving rotational and spherical symmetry
> (volumes, surface areas, centroids, moments of inertia of spheres,
> caps, hyperboloids, toroidal rings etc.)
> New formulas for classical curves using rational polar coordinates.
>
> It would be interesting to see some of the details, and to see how
> (if) some of the things you mention could be developed from this idea
. .
it's really only the difference between using
d = sqrt((x1 - x0)^2 + (y1 - y0)^2 + (z1 - z0)^2)
and using
d^2 = (x1 - x0)^2 + (y1 - y0)^2 + (z1 - z0)^2
IOW, what's standard in GR. For most people, working in nearly flat
spacetime where the geometry is for all practical purposes Euclidean,
though, distances, not their squares, are important.
> >Besides (17 cos 37, 17 sin 37) isn't that hard to understand is it?
>
A point 17 units from the origin rotated 37 degrees. Or a vector
magnitute 17 at 37 degrees.
I know what it means. As I said, though, most of the
non-mathematically-inclined do not get that far. In my experience
teaching high school and college math courses, I have noticed that
many of them do seem to run into a wall when it comes to adding
fractions with unlike denominators and finding the least common
denominator, and from then on their confidence in their ability isn't
there any more so they get out of math as fast as they can.
--Ronn! :)
"Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country
and two words have been added to the pledge of Allegiance... UNDER
GOD. Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer and that
would be eliminated from schools too?"
-- Red Skelton
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