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TrishC7
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21 Apr 2007, 5:06 am

I used to be a math-phobe, but got over it. I know some women who are extraordinarily good at math. Research seems to suggest that the historical difference in math performance had to do with social expectations re. gender.



0_equals_true
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21 Apr 2007, 5:11 am

I don't think it matters. What matters is some women can be good at maths.

I think it is more than just cultural but they have tried to get more women into the sciences. There are preferences in people. Maybe AS don't have they I'm just as interested in psychology as I am at maths. Yesterday I was talking intensely about micro biology to a guy who is it. I'm pretty new to that subject but it is really interesting talking about AIDS, Hepatitis C, Ebola, etc.



matt271
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21 Apr 2007, 5:39 am

calandale wrote:
Sedaka wrote:
pffttt!! !

anyone can be good at math


Not true. Some people seem to have real blocks.
I have something oddly like this with Calculus, where
I can grasp the underlying concept, but have a lot of
trouble caring about the different methods of integration.


doing integration by hand?!?!? thats not calculus, thats the monkey work. the calculus IS the concepts. u have to understand what the integral is in terms of infinite sums and area to use it is problems and proofs and stuff. but a TI89 or computer or w/e does all the monkey work for you nowadays.



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21 Apr 2007, 8:09 am

matt271 wrote:
calandale wrote:
Sedaka wrote:
pffttt!! !

anyone can be good at math


Not true. Some people seem to have real blocks.
I have something oddly like this with Calculus, where
I can grasp the underlying concept, but have a lot of
trouble caring about the different methods of integration.


doing integration by hand?!?!? thats not calculus, thats the monkey work. the calculus IS the concepts. u have to understand what the integral is in terms of infinite sums and area to use it is problems and proofs and stuff. but a TI89 or computer or w/e does all the monkey work for you nowadays.


I'm afraid not.

A calculus is a set of methods or rules for doing things.

There are many different calculi in maths. The most common one (often called 'the calculus') is a set of rules for integrating and differentiating. A conceptual understanding of differentiation, integration, continuity etc. would fall under the heading of analysis.



martin_nyc
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21 Apr 2007, 8:24 am

I don't believe there is any actual difference between men and women in their capacity to "do maths." That said, many women were taught through social interaction that mathematics is best left to men, and this could lead to heightened math anxiety, which would negatively influcence performance. It's sad to think of all the innovations we may have missed in the engineering fields simply because "Shakespeare's sister" never picked up the ol' slide rule.



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21 Apr 2007, 9:22 am

I used to do well in math, until I lost interest. I always did well on my math homework, but got nervous during exams, even though I knew how to do the work. I took a course called Math in Society in college which I enjoyed and received a B, proving I had the ability. I didn't take Algebra 2 until I reached university, by which time I had nearly completed all of my requirements for my major, English. My best subjects were English, Spanish, biology, history and psychology-all of the people-oriented classes. Chemistry was difficult, but I still managed a C.



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21 Apr 2007, 9:24 am

Some are good at it. Some are crap at it.



dexkaden
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21 Apr 2007, 5:41 pm

Well, I've never had any trouble thinking in 3D, but your diagram is confusing because the way it is drawn with the red DC lining up exactly with the black DC makes it impossible for the triangle to have any significant volume. If it were truly representative of 3D, the triangle would need to be a pyramid with a base. So I can picture this set up in 3D in my head, but the diagram isn't helping. (Does that make sense?)


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21 Apr 2007, 6:13 pm

matt271 wrote:
but a TI89 or computer or w/e does all the monkey work for you nowadays.


Back when I first took it, such things weren't available. I took multi-variable calc recently, and we were allowed to use a calculator to handle it. Big difference. Still had to come up with the work, but it's a lot easier when you already have the answer.



blacktext
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21 Apr 2007, 7:21 pm

The Gender Gap: Boys Lagging, Girls Move Ahead
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/10/ ... 7678.shtml



ghostgurl
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21 Apr 2007, 7:28 pm

I'm not good at math, but I don't think it has anything to do with being female.


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21 Apr 2007, 7:32 pm

Am great at algebra and statistics, but couldn't do trigonometry or calculus. Couldn't visually process it or something.



matt271
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21 Apr 2007, 7:57 pm

blacktext wrote:
The Gender Gap: Boys Lagging, Girls Move Ahead
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/10/ ... 7678.shtml


i found that very interesting



JakeG
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21 Apr 2007, 8:34 pm

calandale wrote:
matt271 wrote:
but a TI89 or computer or w/e does all the monkey work for you nowadays.


Back when I first took it, such things weren't available. I took multi-variable calc recently, and we were allowed to use a calculator to handle it. Big difference. Still had to come up with the work, but it's a lot easier when you already have the answer.


Calculators like the T189 seem pointless to me; if I wanted to do something that I couldn't do on a 99pence calculator, I'd just go and use Maple/Matlab/R etc.



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21 Apr 2007, 8:48 pm

I'm terrible at math. My older friend, who is a women, is better. Generalities do not always apply.



matt271
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21 Apr 2007, 8:58 pm

JakeG wrote:
calandale wrote:
matt271 wrote:
but a TI89 or computer or w/e does all the monkey work for you nowadays.


Back when I first took it, such things weren't available. I took multi-variable calc recently, and we were allowed to use a calculator to handle it. Big difference. Still had to come up with the work, but it's a lot easier when you already have the answer.


Calculators like the T189 seem pointless to me; if I wanted to do something that I couldn't do on a 99pence calculator, I'd just go and use Maple/Matlab/R etc.


those computer programs??
i love the ti89 because i have been using it for a while now, i know lots of short cuts and can type on it very fast. i also like that i can just set it anywhere, no matter where i am, and use it. its like a portable, math-specific computer w/ a simple basic language that uses all the math syntax.