/sci/ - Science & Math

[Anonymous No.9258389]

What's the best way to teach my dropout Dad algebra? He's a smart guy but he always tries to take shortcuts instead of understanding the process.

>tfw trying to teach him logs

[Anonymous No.9258395]

Why does your dad want to learn Algebra?

Anyone can learn math, but there has to be motivation. Otherwise, they won't put in the time necessary.

Also, logs are counterintuitive as fuck, and only made sense to me in the context of functions and the definition as the integral of a rational function ( good luck explaining that to someone who doesn't know elementary algebra).

[Anonymous No.9258400]

>>9258395
desu it's just the inverse function of exponential. Everything follows from that nothing really complicated.

[Anonymous No.9258406]

>>9258389
What's so hard about logs? They just look stupid (compared to other arithmetics), but actually are quite easy.

[Anonymous No.9258407]

>>9258400
I know this, but when I first encountered logs, I had huge trouble conceptualising them. I think they shouldn't be introduced until one takes a basic calculus course.

[Anonymous No.9258412]

>>9258395
He wants to get into algorithms and computer science in general.

[Anonymous No.9258416]

>>9258389
Have him read Euler's Elements of Algebra.

[Anonymous No.9258418]

Just use the usual x^y = z and show how to solve x, y, or z if you know the other two.

It's not like one ever actually computes logarithms anyway, just getting the idea should be enough.

[Anonymous No.9258562]

>>9258412
Shove a fucking yardstick up his ass and tell him to start watching Khan Academy and doing their problems.