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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