Math Project Proposal

***One idea for our math project would be a type of "survival guide" for calculus, and those essential tools from algebra. I think that this project would work well because everyone in the class would be involved and not only could it be saved for next year, but we could use it in our entry level college courses. The book would cover topics and have helpful tips and explanations. It would be our customized text book designed for everyone in our class to understand. Through doing the project everyone would have a more solid grip on algebra and calculus concepts.

Another idea was making a math problem that dealt with gas prices. We could track costs of gas in different areas, and use math to figure out when the best time to buy gas is. Should you buy when the tank is on empty, at half tank, every time you drive, etc. We could work with averages, derivatives and other concepts.

QQC Chapter 1

Right before the beginning of the quote, it said that this was Euclid's definition of the number one. I thought that this was an interesting quote since Euclid did have such a large impact on numbers a math in general. One is such a hard number to define, and it can be shown in so many different ways. Did Euclid know the power of his work when he wrote his book about math and number theory?

Numbers Continued!!

This part of the article went on to talk about Buddhas insight into small numbers, and it was pretty clever. I never realized how much fractional numbers have effected the way we understand small numbers. Where would famous chemists be without the small numbers to understand concepts like atoms? This week I gained a new appreciation for fractions!!

Numbers

Learning about the origin of numbers was really cool! I found this part of the reading very interesting because I have always wondered how numbers started, and how people began to convey and express them. I didnt know that people werent able to tell the number in groups of objects (like 6 vs 7 apples) and I am curious to know why that is, aside from the fact that there wasnt counting. What would it have been like to live in a time without numbers?

QQC-Gauss

This week I read about Gauss and I was very interested in how he made some important discoveries. This quote went on to say that he went on discover the differential geometry of curved surfaces. It is interesting to think that if he hadn't been working on such a tedious/time wasting project, he wouldn't have made one of "the great ideas of science". Although I had never heard of Gauss, I do know about Einstien's theory of relativity and how important it is. I think everything is built upon something else, especially in math and science. My question is did he like doing this tedious task in the first place? and where did he begin to think about circles instead of triangles?, What triggered him to think outside the box and create a new idea?

QQC-Bernoulli

I found the part about Bernoulli very interesting. I thought it was pretty cool to learn that he and his brother worked a lot with infinite series. One of my questions was how did people even begin thinking about these complex ideas in the 1700's? What prompted the idea of adding fractions or figuring out infinite series? I can appreciate his work now because it relates to some of the work we do in calculus! I wonder when people will take on solving problems like 0/0!? WOAH

QQC-Leibniz

This portion of the reading struck me for several reasons. I think that one way to shape your beliefs is through if you are on the science side of things, or the philosophy side. My ideas of the world have changed back and forth over the years, but I think personally I have settled slightly more on the philosophy side. I think its pretty cool that since he was so fascinated by the sciences that he created his own theories about the world. That showed his true passion for science and showed me what may have distinguished him as one of the great minds of his/all time. My question is how did his work in math play into the role of science in his life?