On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 08:41:31 -0500, Fletch F. Fletch wrote
(in article <feVDc.10911$Xn.7212@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>):
> Gray Shockley wrote:
>> On Sun, 27 Jun 2004 19:06:23 -0500, Fletch F. Fletch wrote
>> (in article <3iJDc.22137$aJ3.21959@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>):
>>
>>> Gray Shockley wrote:
>>>> On Sun, 27 Jun 2004 09:54:18 -0500, Fletch F. Fletch wrote
>>>> (in article <ucBDc.8453$Xn.146@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>):
>>>>
>>>>> toto wrote:
>>>>>> On Sun, 27 Jun 2004 05:28:54 GMT, "Fletch F. Fletch"
>>>>>> <notme31415@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> toto wrote:
>>>>>>>> On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 17:43:33 GMT, "Fletch F. Fletch"
>>>>>>>> <notme31415@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> How many people do you figure are on the earth that don't know
>>>>>>>>> their times tables to say twelve, but can factor a quadratic?
>>>>>>>>> I'm guessing it hovers around zero.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> How many people actually need to be able to factor a quadratric?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Pretty much everyone in math, science, or engineering I would
>>>>>>> guess. Econonmists too. I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch. Of
>>>>>>> course, that is still a small minority.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> Not really.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> You don't have to factor quadratics yourself in any of those
>>>>>> fields. You need to understand how to solve such equations (and
>>>>>> in fact, people who work in the fields you mention, may need to
>>>>>> understand how to get solutions to cubics or higher powered
>>>>>> equations), but people who work in these fields don't solve the
>>>>>> equations by factoring for the most part.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> For one thing, many of quadratics are not factorable. We teach
>>>>>> factoring in Algebra I in high school or before, but it really is
>>>>>> not necessary in the concrete, only in the concept so that
>>>>>> student's can understand the explanation of how the quadratic
>>>>>> formula was
>>>>>> derived.
>>>>>
>>>>> I was using the term factoring loosely. I really meant finding a
>>>>> root, solving, etc.
>>>>>
>>>>> In any event, the answer is 42. If I could only remember what the
>>>>> question was.
>>>>
>>>> Why?
>>>
>>> I was making a lame reference to The Hitchhikers Guide to the
>>> Universe.
>>>
>>> Slainte,
>>> Fletch
>>>
>>>
>>
>> [chuckle]
>>
>> And I was telling you what the question is. [dux]
>>
>> ++ Gray //
>
> I even screwed up the title. Imagine if I had taken the book with me to
a
> different galaxy as a guide. Perhaps then I would learn the diff
between
> universe and galaxy.
>
> How many roads must a man travel?
>
> Slainte,
> Fletch
According to the PTB, "the answer is blowing in the wind".
Unless you are on one of Greyhound's cut routes, of course.
++ Gray //
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