The quadratic formula is a fraud

[IronWing]

From seventh grade through high school we had the quadratic formula pounded into our heads. We were assured that we would end up as mumbling, gutter sleeping bums selling our bodies to the night if we didn't master this formula.

I spent nine years in college in the sciences with a heavy dose of engineering and have been out of school for almost twenty years with a career in science including numerical modeling. Since leaving high school I have never once had an occasion or need to use the quadratic formula.

So to T_Y and any other folks here still in HS: you can print this post, show it to your math teacher, and ask again why you have to learn this crap.


Next week's rant: state capitals

 

[Train]

I don't even remember it.

I'm not 100% certain I would have never used it, but because I don't remember it, I sure as hell didn't.

 

[Broheim]

computer science here, I've never used anything but basic math while programming.

 

[disappoint]

That's it? Of all the lies that float around in the toilet bowl that is humanity's conscience you're going to hang your hat on MATH being the fraud? Get what's left of your head out of your ass and come up with a real rant next time!

 

[Sentinel]

Whether you remember the quadratic equation as an adult is less important than whether you learned the analytic thought processes that solving equations teaches.

 

[Blackjack200]

I hated the quadratic formula until I learned ballistics in Physics 101 and the 2nd degree equations used to solve the 'guy throws a rock at 5 m/s at an angle of 45 degrees from a height of 1.5 meters, how far will the rock go before it hits the ground?' type problems.

Ever since then I've thought it was beautiful.

 

[Ayah]

It's kind of like drawing functions by hand. Plotting them in a CAS is much nicer and faster.

 

[Miramonti]

I hadn't seen it since middle school but used it for the first time a couple years ago when trying to determine when a curve will intersect a line. Khanacademy to the rescue.

 

[rcpratt]

I hated the quadratic formula until I learned ballistics in Physics 101 and the 2nd degree equations used to solve the 'guy throws a rock at 5 m/s at an angle of 45 degrees from a height of 1.5 meters, how far will the rock go before it hits the ground?' type problems.

Ever since then I've thought it was beautiful.

Those just made me cry because I wanted to account for friction and make them realistic

 

[DAGTA]

I used the quadratic formula... when tutoring others in math.

In programming I have used advanced math, particularly in cryptography. It's also used in graphics programming.

 

[Paperdoc]

I've used it lots of times in carpentry and yard landscaping when trying to make a large rectangle with truly "square" corners.

 

[diesbudt]

/stareintospace

[-b +/- SQRT(b^2 - 4ac) ] / 2a

/drool

 

[IronWing]

I've used it lots of times in carpentry and yard landscaping when trying to make a large rectangle with truly "square" corners.

''

 

[diesbudt]

I hated the quadratic formula until I learned ballistics in Physics 101 and the 2nd degree equations used to solve the 'guy throws a rock at 5 m/s at an angle of 45 degrees from a height of 1.5 meters, how far will the rock go before it hits the ground?' type problems.

Ever since then I've thought it was beautiful.

Except it is a lie. Those questsions are frauds also. They never account for the hundred other variables located such as "air resistance"/"Friction", "is there a slit spin on rock because of how it was thrown", etc.

 

[Gibsons]

Those just made me cry because I wanted to account for friction and make them realistic

Realistic is hard.

 

[Fritzo]

Quadratic equations are mainly used by people in engineering and in the financial world. You could say the same thing about a lot of equations though.

 

[tuprox]

I would have to say that Algebra is the most important in the everyday world and then possibly geometry. I loved both of those for some reason. Trig has a lot of practical applications if you know how to use it and you have reason to. Also, statistical analysis (decision science and statistical analysis was a college class) is very useful in business in many ways!

If you can't do algebra then figuring out anything with interest, let alone compounding interest and compounding annual annuities would be pretty difficult I would think.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

X = -b ±

 

[jaedaliu]

you're a fraud!

Taking stock in 1 equation being eternally useful seems silly. Using the derivation of the equation as a learning device is very powerful. It would be difficult to complete an engineering degree without a good grasp of algebra.

 

[dabuddha]

Whether you remember the quadratic equation as an adult is less important than whether you learned the analytic thought processes that solving equations teaches.

This.

 

[Ayah]

Math is why is we have computers.

 

[disappoint]

you're a fraud!

Taking stock in 1 equation being eternally useful seems silly. Using the derivation of the equation as a learning device is very powerful. It would be difficult to complete an engineering degree without a good grasp of algebra.

Holy understatement of the year batman! More like it would be difficult to even get accepted into an engineering degree program without a good grasp of algebra considering algebra and trig are prerequisites to Calc I.

 

[IronWing]

Holy understatement of the year batman! More like it would be difficult to even get accepted into an engineering degree program without a good grasp of algebra considering algebra and trig are prerequisites to Calc I.

I don't discount algebra or trig. I am however calling out the quadratic formula.

 

[TakeNoPrisoners]

I am merely a sophomore computer engineering student and I use the quadratic formula quite often in Differential Equations, Physics, and lower level calc.

 

[TecHNooB]

yea, i haven't used it very much and i'm in grad school for engineering -.- root finding = let the computer do it