Posts Tagged ‘quadratic’
Thursday, December 10th, 2009
Overview of Two-Way Counting
Description
A detailed tutorial on two-way counting. Step by step tutorial including several examples of two-way counting for reference.
Overview
Two-way counting is when any expression for a given quantity are determined using two different counting approaches. Many people believe that a quadratic equation is the perfect example of two-way counting, because you find the quantity in more than one way. However, this is incorrect. Two-way counting is actually a backwards method – you have the quantity already, you just need to figure out how you could get it. This is used often in combinations and permutations, where you often already know what quantity you need to have, you just have to figure out how to get there.
Tags: binomial, combination, counting, equation, example, expression, method, permutation, quadratic, quantity, statistics, two, two-way, way
Posted in Statistics | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
How to Find the Degrees of Polynomials
Description
A detailed tutorial on degrees of polynomials. Step by step tutorial including several examples of degrees of polynomials for reference.
Overview
The degree of a polynomial is the highest power found in it. For example, in your normal quadratic equation, the degree is two, because the highest power – the highest number found in an exponent – is a two. In other polynomials, the degree may be something different. No matter what order the variables and their powers are placed in, the degree is always the highest one. For example. the degree of x^2 + x + 7 is exactly the same as x + 7 + x^2.
Tags: algebra, coefficient, degree, equation, exponent, highest, polynomial, power, quadratic, variable
Posted in Algebra | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
How to Avoid the Freshman Dream
Description
A detailed tutorial on avoiding the freshman dream. Step by step tutorial including several examples of the freshman dream for reference.
Overview
The freshman dream is a mistake commonly made in algebra that was named for the probability that only freshman would make this mistake. In reality, this mistake can be made by anyone, regardless of your academic standing. The freshman dream is employed when you are given a squared binomial. If your equation looks like (x + n)^2, people using the freshman dream will write this as x^2 + n^2. However, this is wrong! Your equation should look like (x + n)(x + n) in the first step, and from there it is obvious to see that you would need to use FOIL to solve for it.
Tags: algebra, avoid, binomial, dream, equation, FOIL, formula, freshman, mistake, multiply, quadratic, square
Posted in Algebra | No Comments »
Friday, October 9th, 2009
Indentifying Prime Polynomials
Description
A detailed tutorial on how to identify prime polynomials. Step by step tutorial including several examples of identifying prime polynomials for reference.
Overview
Prime polynomials are any polynomial that cannot be factored. Just like a number is prime if you can not break it down into two seperate whole numbers to multiply, a polynomial is prime if you cannot break it down into two separate binomials with whole numbers to multiply. When you run into a prime polynomial when trying to solve a quadratic equation, you cannot use the factoring method. what the factoring method does is split the polynomials into a binomial, which cannot be done to a prime polynomial. If you have a prime polynomial, you have to use the quadratic formula to solve it. At first, you can spot prime polynomials by attempting to factor it, but eventually you will be able to do it just by looking at it.
Tags: algebra, binomial, equation, factoring, formula, Math, multiply, number, polynomial, prime, quadratic, whole
Posted in Algebra | No Comments »
Friday, October 9th, 2009
Overview of the Zero-Factor Property
Description
A detailed tutorial on solving problems using the zero-factor property. Step by step tutorial including several examples of the zero-factor property for reference.
Overview
The zero-factor property is very closely linked to solving quadratic equations by factoring. The zero-factor property takes place very close to the end of the problem. Once you have finished factoring, you are usually left with two binomials that are being multiplied. The zero-factor property involves setting each of these binomials equal to zero separately. This allowes you to solve for two different values of x. This works on anything that has more than one term with the same variable being multiplied together. The reason it works is that if you multiply anything by zero, the answer is zero. So all you need to do is set the separate parts equal to zero, and it is just as good as solving for the whole thing at one time.
Tags: algebra, binomials, equation, factor, factoring, Math, multiplication, Polynomials, property, quadratic, variable, zero, zero-factor
Posted in Algebra | No Comments »
Thursday, October 8th, 2009
Definition of a Mandelbrot Set
Description
A detailed tutorial on Mandelbrot sets and identifying Mandelbrot sets. Step by step tutorial including a several visual examples of a Mandelbrot set for reference.
Overview
A Mandelbrot set is defined as a set of points in the complex frame, the boundary of which forms a fractal. This can be mathematically defined as the set of complex values c for which the orbit of zero under iteration of a complex quadratic polynomial remains bounded.
Tags: boundary, complex, differential equations, fractal, iteration, Mandelbrot, Math, point, polynomial, quadratic, set, value
Posted in Differential Equations | No Comments »
