[Geezer]

I'm not even going to respond to that.

(OK - that will be my only response to that - apart from this one. Bummer! OK, well I .....heck with it!)

[myriam (OP)]

lol

[imatfaal]

Sorry Myriam but your maths is confused - the answer to your second question is at heart exactly the same as your first.

if
x^2=y^2
x = +/-y

with numbers
if x^2=1 then x= -1 or x= +1

it is for this reason that you CANNOT always say that (xy)^1/2 equals x^1/2.y^1/2 which disproves your second quiz. 


I find it much easier to understand and simpler to state that the root of a number can be either positive or negative and that this might create absurd and discardable results rather than your formulation.  You are saying that once you square a number that somehow the information of the number's sign is stored, waiting to be extracted once a root is taken - these are multistage procedures and there is no memory in the operand of the process which created it. Matthew

[myriam (OP)]

Matthew you are so close to the theorem , very good

[myriam (OP)]

any other suggestions before the solution release

[myriam (OP)]

hello

(x)E(a*b)= ((x)E(a))E(b) if and only if x>0

[]

[JP]

What is E?  What do all the extra parentheses mean?

[imatfaal]

hello
(x)E(a*b)= ((x)E(a))E(b) if and only if x>0
[]

Do you mean this
 [ Invalid Attachment ]

let x=-4, a=2, b=3

i.  (-4)^(2*3)    = 4096
ii. (-4)^2 = 16
             16^3 = 4096

A. I fail to see how this connects to initial problem (per TommyA)
B. Unless I am untangling your brackets incorrectly I don't agree with your statement

[imatfaal]

Tommy - E was in the past (I think) used to mean Exponential: similar to using x^2 to mean x squared we could write xE2. But I am by no means sure.

You're right, the initial problem was a "proof" that 1= -1.  And I don't see how the equation that Myriam gave (which I cannot interpret sensibly) has anything to do with it.

[Geezer]

I looked at a post JP asked what E was and I did not see a response.
And I see JP has allot on the ball from other prior posts
  

I think JP is too young to remember the Exponent button on calculators. I'm pretty sure he's never seen a slide rule either [] I've still got mine.

It's a bit scary to realize that I was raised in a different era, although, that would probably explain why my knees tend to seize up.

[JP]

I think I saw one of those calculators in a museum once.  And slide rule?  Does that have something to do with playground behavior?

(The programs I use to do mathematics these days use (x)E(y)=xe^y rather than x^y). 

[Geezer]

Yea and a book of log base 10
 

Ah yes! The dreaded log tables. If I can find mine, I'll post a photo for posterity.

[imatfaal]

Lovely stuff Tommy - I have an old cambidge scientific somewhere (led screen); one of the first pocket calculators easily available in UK.  I think it was bought for elder brothers doing o'level maths in 74 - maybe for a'level.
to my shame I still don't know how to use a slide rule

[Geezer]

Alas, my Sinclair Scientific has long since bit the dust.

[RD]

Alas, my Sinclair Scientific has long since bit the dust.

Some Sinclair products can be "emulated" on your PC ...
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_computer_system_emulators#Sinclair_ZX81

Texas instrument calculators too ...

 [ Invalid Attachment ]
http://lpg.ticalc.org/prj_tiemu/images/tiemu-macosx-2.png

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_computer_system_emulators#Texas_Instruments_calculators

... 1992 vintage ... TI92
 [ Invalid Attachment ]

[RD]

Imagine having this calculator for 19 years, then finding it in a lost corner of the house, with no an instructional guidebook. Hair is getting thin from constant head and scalp abuse.
My wife says, sure you save everything else.
It will Show in the most unlikely place.

Like the internet ...

 [ Invalid Attachment ]
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/media/i3d/01/A/man-migrate/MANUAL000050415.pdf

[imatfaal]

o'level maths in 74 - maybe for a'level.
Terminology what are these related to in layman's terms they are really new to me.. does the prefix (AZ) apply?
Is it like the state here call it EEG... (math 101) etc... being the most elementry to the Diff EQ ?
 

Qualifications which are almost as outdated now as the sliderules.  O'levels (ordinary level) were taken at age 16 - and one would take a whole bunch ranging from physics to music, french to woodwork, english lit to philosphy (I ended up with 13); and were used, amongst other things, to filter access to last two years of school education (what we called the sixth form).  A'levels (advanced level) were much more specialised and taken at 18, one would generally take three or four; these were used to filter entrance to university.  Graded between A-E (and U for terrible), A-C were passes at O'level, A-E at A'level.  other wierder ones were AO (alternative ordinary - often maths) and S (special).   Its all changed now.  Someone with kids of right age can explain further   

[BenV]

o'level maths in 74 - maybe for a'level.
Terminology what are these related to in layman's terms they are really new to me.. does the prefix (AZ) apply?
Is it like the state here call it EEG... (math 101) etc... being the most elementry to the Diff EQ ?
 

Qualifications which are almost as outdated now as the sliderules.  O'levels (ordinary level) were taken at age 16 - and one would take a whole bunch ranging from physics to music, french to woodwork, english lit to philosphy (I ended up with 13); and were used, amongst other things, to filter access to last two years of school education (what we called the sixth form).  A'levels (advanced level) were much more specialised and taken at 18, one would generally take three or four; these were used to filter entrance to university.  Graded between A-E (and U for terrible), A-C were passes at O'level, A-E at A'level.  other wierder ones were AO (alternative ordinary - often maths) and S (special).   Its all changed now.  Someone with kids of right age can explain further  

I'll take that challenge.

This should be relatively up to date, but for the UK only...

At 16, you take GCSE exams (general certificate of secondary education) - roughly equivalent to O levels.

A Levels are now split, to encourage diversity - most 16+ students now take 6 AS levels for one year, then can chose to 'enhance' some of them up to full A levels by studying a subset of those subjects for an extra year.  Some (but very few) UK schools offer the International Baccalaureate - an alternative to A levels.

There are other options which are largely less academic and more practical - such as City & Guilds qualifications or GNVQs (general national vocational qualifications).