Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 alpha 4/15/85; site ucbvax.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!jordan From: jordan@ucbvax.ARPA (Jordan Hayes) Newsgroups: net.singles Subject: Re: Intelligence Message-ID: <8657@ucbvax.ARPA> Date: Sun, 30-Jun-85 23:52:45 EDT Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8657 Posted: Sun Jun 30 23:52:45 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 2-Jul-85 04:42:25 EDT References: <1111@peora.UUCP> <199@rruxo.UUCP> <511@ttidcc.UUCP> Reply-To: jordan@ucbvax.UUCP (Jordan Hayes) Organization: University of California at Berkeley Lines: 20 Summary: the reason for calculus In article <511@ttidcc.UUCP> hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) writes: >Given the above, what is the justification for forcing _everyone_ to study >calculus? Well, it gets even worse if you discuss why there are math requirements for high school (and look at the sector with High School Diplomas). The only answer I can seem to get from anyone (and it's a decent one, don't get me wrong) is that math (in general) and calculus (in specific) exercise the part of our thinking systems devoted to logic. Pretty lame you say? Consider that most of calculus is the _word_problem_ ... Granted, I'll never do partial differential eqns again in my life, but you have to answer those questions using a structured logic. The payoff isn't visible (superficially), but it's there. ------------ Jordan Hayes jordan@ucb-vax.BERKELEY.EDU UC Berkeley ucbvax!jordan +1 (415) 835-8767 37' 52.29" N 122' 15.41" W