Re: Fings we was lernt rong in skool (Was Basrawis n all that cop)

On Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:24:50 GMT, "Richard Chambers"
<richard.chambers7_NoSpam_@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Father Ignatius wrote

What do I hope for, from this thread? I hope for more
examples of things that were taught at school but which
have gone quaintly and amusingly out of date in your own
lifetime. Please feel free to contribute.

Oh, where do I begin?

Using logarithms in Maths.

Around here in SA - and our high-schooling ends a year before A-levels -
the higher grade matriculants (destined for science and engineering
courses at university) still study logarithms, which appear in standard
Freshman Calculus. It is log tables that are long gone.

With good reason, and this is probably true for all developed countries. Log
tables are no longer needed in this age of the calculator. An understanding
of the mathematical principles of logarithms is essential knowledge to
physicists and engineers, who often need to plot measurement results
logarithmically. A logarithmic plot of y against x can often reveal the
nature of the mathematical relationship between the two measured quantities.

There's more reason than simply the ability to make log plotted
graphs for knowing about logarithms, especially the natural logs.
Natural logs are the answer to many equations in those fields.
They are an intrinsic part of higher mathematics.

Logs base ten are pretty useless nowadays, though, save for graph
paper. But you don't actually use logs on logarithmic graph
paper; the grid takes care of that for you.

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN (hatunen@xxxxxxx) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Logarithm of transfinite numbers
    ... positive reals, so that other logs are equally limited. ... There is no a priori reason why logs of things which are not real ... No more silly than trying to make sense of the logarithms of negative ... any self-contradictions. ...
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  • Re: Logarithm of transfinite numbers
    ... positive reals, so that other logs are equally limited. ... There is no a priori reason why logs of things which are not real ... No more silly than trying to make sense of the logarithms of negative ... any self-contradictions. ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: Logarithm of transfinite numbers
    ... the natural logarithm of x is defined to be the area under f= 1/x ... positive reals, so that other logs are equally limited. ... There is no a priori reason why logs of things which are not real ... No more silly than trying to make sense of the logarithms of negative ...
    (sci.math)
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