For millenia, students have been taught how to complete the square. This
laborious procedure allows one to prove the quadratic formula so that one
can less tediously discover the roots of a particular equation:
laborious procedure allows one to prove the quadratic formula so that one
can less tediously discover the roots of a particular equation:
Not so bad. We invite readers to write and tell us
when the last time was they used this formula for
something besides algebra homework.
when the last time was they used this formula for
something besides algebra homework.
That's not the fault of the formula. It turns out that analogous formulas for third and fourth degree
equations took centuries of effort. No one uses them. Niels Abel (August 5, 1802 – April 6, 1829) was a
Norwegian mathematician who overcame domestic disasters of the seventh kind, but tragically died
young. He proved that there were no formulas for powers higher than 4. This is probably just as well, as
it is very rare to encounter higher degree equations in practice. Every once in a while when we are
calculating skewness and tailedness of a data sample we use third and fourth powers, but they are
not really equations.
For example, suppose there was some interest in high school dropout rates. Surely, a law such as
No Child Left Behind would focus like a laser on keeping millions of at-risk teenagers in school. Since
we find no (zero) value in a high school diploma, our models assert that the value of dropping out is
negative both for the student, the school and the society. Despite our oft-repeated preference for
counting only a college education that leads to employment as a success, we'll roll along with NCLB.
equations took centuries of effort. No one uses them. Niels Abel (August 5, 1802 – April 6, 1829) was a
Norwegian mathematician who overcame domestic disasters of the seventh kind, but tragically died
young. He proved that there were no formulas for powers higher than 4. This is probably just as well, as
it is very rare to encounter higher degree equations in practice. Every once in a while when we are
calculating skewness and tailedness of a data sample we use third and fourth powers, but they are
not really equations.
For example, suppose there was some interest in high school dropout rates. Surely, a law such as
No Child Left Behind would focus like a laser on keeping millions of at-risk teenagers in school. Since
we find no (zero) value in a high school diploma, our models assert that the value of dropping out is
negative both for the student, the school and the society. Despite our oft-repeated preference for
counting only a college education that leads to employment as a success, we'll roll along with NCLB.