Math! *sets hair on fire*

Siddow said:

Okay, all you right-brainers, help me out here. I've been accepted and will be starting my college career in January at the pleasant old cougar-ish age of 39.

Problem: My last algebra lesson was in 1985.

I am practicing for the placement exam I must take, and I have forgotten EVERYTHING. I mean, all of it. So I have all these study guides, books like "Algebra success in 20 minutes a day!", lots of websites with live-action examples, a copy of the practice exam, a rubric of all the things covered on the exam...

And it's all gibberish. It makes NO sense whatsoever. I failed the part on Factoring Polynomials. For one thing, I don't even know what a polynomial is, and if I did, what would the action of 'factoring' it look like? And Rational Expressions? wth? They're saying it's something like 9-x2 over x-3 where x is less than -3, but I'm thinking it's something more like, "I won't be able to accompany you to the dinner because I will be otherwise occupied that evening."

AARRGGH!

So, I'm pretty close to resigned that I will be in remedial math after this test, BUT I am open to any quick-and-dirty tricks that have worked for others whose brains are wired like mine.

I test in a week. I've been studying for a month. I am still failing practice tests. My problem is that I can't make it make sense, and the more I memorize, the more I mix up my memorization.

HELP!

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Apparently I'm an excellent math tutor. I'm not sure how I could do it over the internet though. The college usually has some sort of help center you could go to for a refresher lesson. It's Sept, so they'd be there. That's what I would do.

Congrats on going back to school too.

Here, this should help. From wiki:

In mathematics, a polynomial is a finite length expression constructed from variables (also known as indeterminates) and constants, by using the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and constant non-negative whole number exponents. For example, x2 − 4x + 7 is a polynomial, but x2 − 4/x + 7x3/2 is not, because its second term involves division by the variable x and also because its third term contains an exponent that is not a whole number.

See, wasn't that easy?

I'm so evil.

By the way, factoring is breaking a polynomial down into more simplistic equations.

For example:

x[SUP]2[/SUP] + x - 2

would factor into (x + 2)(x - 1).

To check that, you use the FOIL method. First, Outside, Inside, Last.

First: x * x = x[SUP]2[/SUP]
Outside: x * -1 = -x
Inside: 2 * x = 2x
Last: 2 * -1 = -2

Put them together: x[SUP]2[/SUP] - x + 2x - 2 = x[SUP]2[/SUP] + x - 2

Factoring is just doing the reverse of that. It's hard to explain over the internet without being able to give written examples and show you with a pen/paper.

Oh, Siddow, how I feel your pain! I have to ditto semilargeintestine's reccy about a college help center. Also, here are a few links that the kind folks here gave me when I had my own math-meltdown awhile back.

Math.com

Dr. Math

I felt exactly the way you did when I took those pre-tests and stuff, and I had a horrible time (improper numbers and such just FREAKED me out). My husband is very patiently tutoring me through it, and I think I may even end up with a B as a result! If you can get yourself a tutor in addition to a help center and threads like above, I think you'll do fine.

and sympathy.

Polynomial

A polynomial is a number expressed in two or more parts. Example would be 2x + 3, where the 2x and 3 are two different parts. They're really numbers themselves, hence the name polynomial (many numbers).

Factoring Polynomials

This is done to figure out the "zeros"** of a formula. That is, taking {x^2 + 2x + 1} and factoring it to become {x + 1} and {x + 1}, or (x + 1)^2. To inverse that function, multiply the two binomials (two-part binomials) together. You do this by making yourself a grid.


The first empty square is x^2 or x*x. The one to the right is 1*x. One to the bottom is 1*x and the bottom right box is 1. Together makes x^2 + 2x + 1. Knowing this much, since I quite remember how the lessons went for factoring since it is second nature to me, you can probably go at your book to figure out what it says.

** Don't worry, this is a simplified term for a more complex function. Just continue reading.

semilargeintestine said:

To check that, you use the FOIL method. First, Outside, Inside, Last.

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I had a math teacher yell at us for using FOIL. He taught us to use the grid and made us stick with it. Personally, I prefer the grid because you can expand it to apply to lengthy polynomials.

Siddow said:

I test in a week. I've been studying for a month. I am still failing practice tests. My problem is that I can't make it make sense, and the more I memorize, the more I mix up my memorization.

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Just found your problem. You're trying to memorise. Don't memorise, practice instead.

In my experience, people who have trouble with algebra don't "get" it. They have trouble wrapping their mind around the idea of a variable. For example

2x + 1

can evaluate to any numerical value, depending on what you plug into x.

For example

x = 0 --> 2x + 1 = 2 * 0 + 1 = 1
x = 1 --> 2x + 1 = 2 * 1 + 1 = 3
x = .5 --> 2x + 1 = 2 * .5 + 1 = 2
x = -.5 --> 2x + 1 = 2 * -.5 + 1 = 0

First of all, you will need to "get" the idea of doing calculations with an x or y or whatever in them. For example, you can divide (2x + 1) by 3, and get 1.67x + .33

Then you will need to "get" the idea of 2x+1 corresponding to a physical reality, just in the way "2" corresponds to some apples or "1/3" corresponds to a part of an apple. As it happens, 2x+1 is a line, and corresponds to physical realities that come out into lines, such as things sliding along a string, or skating on ice, or the cost of printing your book at Lightning Source.

So calculations done on polynomials are really calculations done on the whole set of possible book costs at Lightning Source.

Factoring polynomials should be natural once you get used to seeing how polynomials can be multiplied together--then you'll see how you can divide them, and write some of them as simpler looking polynomials multiplied together. Factoring polynomials is no mean feat--but the essence of it is knowing that certain things always fall out a certain way, just as knowing that all even numbers can be divided by two.

In all seriousness, taking a remedial math class would probably be a good idea. You just can't expect to remember the stuff you learned in high school math class after twenty years.

Siddow said:

English, please. lol. I still have the same problem I had in high school--give me a word problem, and I can give you an answer, because I can find the logical way (in MY head) to figure out the solution. But lay down a bunch of numbers and letters (variables? is that right?) with symbols and it is simply INCOMPREHENSIBLE. Does not compute. Means nothing at all, has no solution. sigh.

That's the problem I'm running into with a lot of the materials I'm reviewing. They present this stuff as, "Voila! Easy!" and I'm left scratching my head, wondering, Why? How? And I go looking for the how/why, and come back with, "It just IS!"

I have absolutely, ZERO understanding of how your first example translates into the second. None. No reflection on you, just warning others, I really am this non-functioning when it comes to this stuff.

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Alright, word time.

A number plus one is the only factor of a number multiplied by itself plus the number multiplied twice, then adding one.

Does that make any more sense?

There's probably a ton to cover by then, but please PM or email me with topics you need to know. I'm good at putting math into terms like "the ones with the little numbers raised up on the side, the exponents" That's how I think of it, and I get it fine, even though my vocab annoys the hell out of my engineer dad!

I'm not a math whiz, but I just finished a computing degree at Oxford, so I gots credibility, I promise I'm just a goof along with that!

I'm really enjoying this thread. Damn, I miss maths.

I paid for the placement test three times!

The first two there were emergencies at work and I couldn't attend their darn expensive non-refundable test, so on the third try I sat down in an huge room to take the test. They handed out the answer sheets, the pencils and the packets and instructed us to read the directions and then the instructor informs us that the scores on the test do not matter, we have to take the test to be accepted into the university, but the scores do not matter.

Open to section one and begin answering: now:

It took me four minutes to fill out all those little dots on the entire answer form and walk down the steps and hand it in. I was furious, but eventually ended up in some insane higher math class that I had to drop on the first day because no one spoke English in there, and besides, I never ever needed a math class for my major...

So, um, well, maybe that's helpful?

Xelebes said:

I had a math teacher yell at us for using FOIL. He taught us to use the grid and made us stick with it. Personally, I prefer the grid because you can expand it to apply to lengthy polynomials.

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My Calculus 3 prof used it. That's good enough for me.

I am no help with this thread.

**leaves copious amounts of coffee, chocolate, spirits and a warm fluffly blanket.**

...and hair conditioner

What? You haven't done engineering over the last quarter century to keep up your knowledge of algebra?

Besides, your oldest rug rat might be starting to learn a little algebra, and you don't want him to outsmart you at such a young age...

Siddow said:

lol. No! I'm hopeless...wave to me as I ride by on the short bus...

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DON'T TELL YOURSELF THAT! I've seen people who say they're hopeless (and not just at math), and it's not a pretty sight.

Firstly, it does look like you need to learn some terminology.

A factor is one of the two numbers you're multiplying when you multiply two numbers together. In this:
2 x 3 = 6
the numbers 2 and 3 are factors, and 6, the result of the mumtiplication, is called the product.

Oftentimes the symbol for multiplication, "x" (that we learned in elementary school arithmetic) can get confused with a variable name "x" in algebra, and in computer programming as well. In most computer languages the asterisk "*" is used to indicate multiplication, as in:

2 * 3 = 6

But also in algebra, putting two things next to each other indicates multiplication, as in:

2x

You can't do this with straight numbers, as they run together, but you can put one or both in parentheses, like this:

2(3) = 6
(2)(3) = 6


For addition, there's also a special name for the result, it is of course called the sum:
2 + 3 = 5
the result, 5, is called the sum. I'm sure there's a name for the 2 and the 3 being added together, maybe addendums or something like that, but <Airplane! voice> that's not important now.

Factors can be more complicated expressions, like semilargeintestine was showing you. Here's a less-compicated example:

3(x + 1) (here there's an implied multiplication by the 3 being next to the parenthesis without a symbol between them).

The two factors in this multiplication are 3, and x + 1.

You may well need some remedial algebra class or something, but you might want to sign up at:

http://number2.com

and see how far you can get in the Algebra tutorial on the GRE - it's like a micro-mini review, and it may help you a lot (and even if it does, check out others' site suggestions too, they can only help). The SAT or ACT part might have an algebra toturial as part of the math section, but I've not looked at it.

Siddow said:

I don't even know what the terms mean! I'm stuck at 'math vocabulary'.

I don't know what the words mean, I don't know what the symbols mean (well, I know +, -, =, x, and divide that I don't know how to make appear here), and I don't know how else to learn them but to memorize.

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And here's another little tidbit.

The divide symbol, a dash with a dot above and below, is not in the ASCII character set (standard computer character set in use since the 1960's), so most computer languages use the / character for divide.

So for division we have:

8 / 2 = 4

And all the "characters" in The Story Of Division have special names too. The thing being divided, the 8, is called the dividend. The thing doing the dividing, the 2, is called the divisor. The result, 4, is called the quotient.

Yeah, if there had been a math major available at the engineering college, I might have gone for it. Heck, they might have one now after all their name changes, I'm afraid to look ... http://spsu.edu