B.C. by Mastroianni and Hart for February 04, 2023

Nailed it.

“…whose relevance peaks somewhere around 10th grade………… except to 10th graders.”

Advanced? Hmmm.

So if x represents the grade of peak relevance, then it could have been determined by solving the following equation: x² – 9x – 10 = 0

well unless you go onto do something maths heavy like electronics

I thought the quadratic was a body of water off the Metatarsal and the Heel of Italy.

These people don’t need math. They are still figuring out rocks. They haven’t even gotten to minerals yet.

if then…

Yes sir, I’d like to buy a quadratic equation, or here is your quadratic equation change sir. As my next door neighbor’s young son said, what good is a quadratic equation if i can’t buy candy with it. Or where has the quadratic equation really gotten us. Yip yip yip yip yip

And then Satan said, “Let’s put the alphabet in math.”

and never used again

You sure nailed that one!

As a techie, quadratic equations were an occasional part of my life for half a century. In fact, they were about the only part of even semi-advanced math (excluding basic trig) I ever dealt with. Once I had to dig the quadratic formula for calculating roots of a quadratic expression out of the depths of my memory. Mostly, though, advanced math was really just a hobby and a way to get required credits in high school.

Academia is a swamp that looks like a garden. Off and on I have wondered about a question on our physics final that involved a pile being driven into soil. We were given the masses of the pile and the driver, the height the driver was raised to, and that the collision was inelastic (standard stuff). Nothing was mentioned about the soil, and for more than 50 years I believed the problem had no solution. Then, a couple months ago, I was telling somebody about it and it dawned on me it did tell us about the soil: the collision was inelastic, which meant that both energy and momentum were conserved in the collision. (Without that bit of info energy would be lost to rebound, making calculation impossible.) I’m too dull now to work out the math, but it would have been a hoot back then.

The whole point of glory days is to give us interesting memories.

Study and learn skills that will be useful. ‘Ya want fries with that?’ ‘Paper or plastic?’ ‘Swipe your card Dude, er, please.’

The whole point of studying mathematics in K-12 is to learn how to think, and how to break real world problems into manageable chunks.

Mastered in 10th grade, forgotten entirely by 11th. Seen three years later on the back of a milk carton.

As an old retired guy, I can say that differential equations and multiple regression analysis came in very handy in my career. But maybe not!

Not if you become an engineer.

I hate to say this, but quadratic equations are closer to basic math than they are to “advanced” math

For everybody who thinks they don’t need quantitative skills: could I be your mortgage loan officer? Please?

I still remember it. My algebra teacher (9th grade) taught it to us by singing it to the tune of “Rule Brittania.”

THAT IS ANOTHER FABLE LIKE LITTLE GIRLS NEED LITTLE BOYFRIENDS THAT KEEPS THE LUMPEN PROLETARIATE LUMPEN.

ax²+bx+c and, of course E=√m2c4+p2c2

“In relation to quadratic equations, imaginary numbers (and complex roots) occur when the value under the radical portion of the quadratic formula is negative. When this occurs, the equation has no roots (or zeros) in the set of real numbers.”

After 10th grade Its ’all in his imagination anyway…

I’d add Mineralogy to the list of forgotten subjects soon after they are taught

Down here in India this concept springs up in the eight grade.

Or not at all.

The quadratic equation is x = (-b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus 4ac) / 2a.

The only reason I remember that is my teacher taught it us to the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel.

And interest peaks even earlier that that.