Math Help

Archive for August, 2007

Question: Is there an easy way to write math notations (integrals, greek letters, Sigma notation, etc) on Windows 2000?

I want to write out some math equations in both Excel and Word, but I can’t figure out an easy way to do it. Is there some free software out there that will help me? I know there’s some Office Add-on that does it, but I can’t find it on my installation disk. Are there any others? Something versatile and easy to use. Please help!

Answer: For individual characters, Insert Symbol works well – most of what you need will be in the Symbol font.

If you need to format equations, though, you’ll need to use Equation Editor. You should be able to find this in the Office installation hierarchy under Tools or something along those lines. To use it, if you don’t have the toolbar button displayed, go to Insert > Object and select Microsoft Equation from the list. It has several different groups for different kinds of symbols and placeholders. The placeholder ones make sure the formatting is correct, and can be nested – so if you want to write an expression for the square root of the determinant of a matrix of polynomial fractions, you can.

Equation Editor has some problems, though – at least it did when I last used it substantially, some years ago now. Be prepared for file sizes to balloon dramatically if you use lots of equations, and don’t expect to be able to read them on a system running any other version of Office (though most of the time it will probably be OK). NEVER edit your document with any other version of Office, because it’s likely that some of your equations will be scrambled if you do.

For the mathematical professional, though, there’s no substitute for LaTeX (or, to avert flames, similar systems such as TeX, AMSTeX, etc). This allows you to use text codes for every imaginable mathematical operation (and probably a whole bunch more you’ve never heard of). This keeps file sizes small, allows you to edit your document on any software on any system, and automatically handles layout, cross-referencing, bibliography and more. Also, it’s free. The learning curve is steep, though, so it’s not worth learning for casual use. I recommend using an editor like WinEdt which has many features designed expressly for TeX/LaTeX editing. (Not free, but not too expensive either.)

To get many of the benefits of LaTeX without having to learn all the codes, you can try software like Scientific Word. This is essentially a visual front-end around a LaTeX/word processing combination package, so you can enter formulae directly in an Equation Editor-like interface together with text. However, you are obviously then tied to the software, and it’s not very cheap ($180 US for a student licence, $525 US for an academic licence).

Towards an Integral Biology of Economics

Question: I need help with an acrostic poem about math functions.?

The poem needs to be about FUNCTIONS. A function is like:

Your weight is a function of how much you eat.

Get it? Good.
Thanks!

Answer: Fitness is a function of how much you work out
Understanding is a function of paying attention
Nice is a function of doing unto others as you’d like them to do unto you
Change is a function of the amount an item costs and the amount you give the cashier
Teamwork is a function of how well you work with others

a start anyway

Math Functions – YourTeacher.com – Algebra Help

The factors of an algebraic equation consists of two or more algebraic expressions which, when multiplied together, por4duce the given algebraic expression.

What is factorization?

Factorization is an act of expressing (or factorize) an integer or polynomial as a product of certian of its factors.

For example, x ² - 1 can be factorized as (x+1)(x-1).

The factorization of x ² - 1 is (x+1)(x-1).

Similarly, the factorization of x ² – 4 is (x-2)(x+2).

What is a prime factor?

A prime factor is a polynomial which no factors other than itself and 1.

What is the least common multiple for a set of numbers?

The least common multiple for a set of numbers is the smallest quantity divisible by every number of the set. For algebraic equations, the least common multiple is the polynomial of lowest degree and smallest numerical coefficients for which each of the given expressions will be a factor.

What is the greatest common multiple for a set of numbers?

The greatest common factor for a set of numbers is the largest factor that is common to all members of the set. For algebraic equations, the greatest common factor is the ploynomial of highest degree and largest numerical coefficients which is a factor of all the given expressions.