> 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 Not exactly super revolutionary, + it's non intuitive to boot. And it doesn't work well with vectors. It doesn't make comutations faster either. Nice tricks, but that is what they are...tricks. > >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. > > 1/2 + 1/3 is about where most non-mathematically-inclined students > throw up their hands in despair. > > > Haven't They Found The Least Common Denominator Yet? They Were > Looking For That Thing When I Was A Kid Maru > _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
