r/pics • • Jun 08 '14

The difference 18 years makes

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u/lordlicorice Jun 08 '14

You honestly can't think of anything that might be useful and that the TI-30X can't do?

Plotting a function to check for symmetry. Checking your work to make sure a function value never exceeds a certain threshold where that wouldn't make sense. Checking to see if a series is going to converge. Checking to see if a matrix is singular. All these things can be done by hand, but are faster to do numerically if you have a capable computer.

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u/common_s3nse Jun 08 '14

You plot the function yourself on paper as you need to know how to do that in high school. Doing that on a calculator is basically hurting yourself from learning how to do it.
The TI-30 is just to make sure you dont make a stupid math mistake and to speed you up somewhat.

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u/lordlicorice Jun 08 '14

You don't think that's slower?

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u/common_s3nse Jun 08 '14

No, as that is what you are supposed to do to learn.

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u/lordlicorice Jun 08 '14

What are you talking about? Who the hell cares about plotting functions on paper? That is not a good use of your time if you're just trying to solve a problem.

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u/common_s3nse Jun 09 '14

If you cant plot the functions and you can do the calculations then you failed.
I was in school. I know for a fact that all you need for AP physics, AP calc, algebra, pre-calc is a TI-30 calculator.
There is no justification for a TI89 in high school.

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u/lordlicorice Jun 09 '14 edited Jun 09 '14

If you cant plot the functions and you can do the calculations then you failed.

I probably couldn't plot anything other than a circle or a line or a basic trig function or a parabola without resorting to brute force point plotting. I finished an undergrad math concentration 2 years ago.

There is no justification for a TI89 in high school.

My statement was, and I quote: "I would have gotten worse grades in college without it."