I want to get ahead but...

[Scott]

... I dont know where to start. School is too slow for me, and geometry isnt really advanced (im in 9th grade). Its basically all remembering posulates and then applying them to proofs. So I want to get ahead of the game and get into Algrebra 2 (for some reason Florida likes to go from Algebra one to Geometry and then go on to Algebra 2).

 

Does anyone know any good websites or eBooks to help me get started?

[MolecularMan14]

I know how it is man. Its the same here. I went from Algebra in 8th to H Geo in 9th. Then, in 10th, I'll probably have no option but to go to H Alg 2. That really sucks, but there isnt much we can do at this point. Just excell at Geo, there are dozens of awesome books out there to let you get ahead and past geometry, then on to something else. (no offense to any geometry fanatics out there) but geo isnt my passion...well math isnt my passion, but it certainly is important.

If you have to do something, you might as well be outstanding at it, so you dont have to do it again

[Scott]

im glad to see that it isnt just florida that is crazy. I bed my mom has some old books, and im sure ebay does.

 

Cheers

[bloodhound]

if ur serious on mathematical stuff, then start learning very elementary calculus, but before that you will have to familiarise with idea of limits etc.

[cubexican]

It's the same out here in IL. What I'm doing this summer is taking next year's math course this summer at a community college. Since math is a year long course the class is about 4 hours long and about 3 or 4 days per week. I have to take it at a college because my high school only offers semester classes over the summer.

[youngone]

Same here too. At least you guys live in America, unlike me. I live in some place where nobody in the universe could possibly locate on a map (Brunei Darussalam). The education system over there STINKS! I am 15 years old and just finished Form 3; somewhere around Grade 9 in your country (I guess!). They teach maths very slowly in here. For example, this year, we were thought Pythagoras' Theorem. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! I knew this thing two years ago and I am bloody sure you guys knew it when you were in diapers!

 

And do you know what the worst part is? Since the teaching of Maths and Science has been going slowly for the past few years, the next years will be way tougher than ever because we have to catch up with the world standard. I have been looking through my elder sister's maths and physics books in hopes of learning some more but it feels useless.

[Auk]

Man it sounds like your from my school. No kidding. We're reviewing stuff we leart in Grade 8 (I'm in Grade 10). Its a sckrewed up system but just like Molecular Man14 said. Do your best don't get bored and if you really want some challenges get some math books at the library. The mathematician Pickover always has fun challenges. Try him.

[shortylbc]

I am in a Ultra Relegious jewish school in Brooklyn NY...and they dont even offer any math....as a matter of fact they dont offer any non-relegious subjects....i come on this board to help me stay with it in the science world....you all shouldnt take it for granted that you have math and science.

 

id also like to know if anyone knows of any good cyber education websites i could use.

[psi20]

I used the math tutorials from a cd to get ahead. It worked well and gave me an obvious headstart, but it didn't cover everything. I finished a year during a couple weeks in the summer. It's called MathAdvantage 2002... couple years back isn't too bad.

 

Problem is, it only goes up to the 2nd calculus year.

[Auk]

I used the math tutorials from a cd to get ahead. It worked well and gave me an obvious headstart' date=' but it didn't cover everything. I finished a year during a couple weeks in the summer. It's called MathAdvantage 2002... couple years back isn't too bad.

 

Problem is, it only goes up to the 2nd calculus year.[/quote']

 

Where do you find it and is it for free?

[psi20]

It's not for free, but the box says 30-day moneyback guarantee. I got it at Ross for $7 and some tax. Let me list the things the CD's have: pre alg, alg 1, alg 2, geom, trig, pre-calc, calc, statistics, AP calc, ap stat, infinite problem generator

[Woxor]

... I dont know where to start. School is too slow for me' date=' and geometry isnt really advanced (im in 9th grade). Its basically all remembering posulates and then applying them to proofs. So I want to get ahead of the game and get into Algrebra 2 (for some reason Florida likes to go from Algebra one to Geometry and then go on to Algebra 2).

 

Does anyone know any good websites or eBooks to help me get started?[/quote']Before you go to Algebra 2, make sure you know trig. Even if you see sin and cos and think, "Yeah, yeah, seen 'em a million times," make absolutely sure you know their definitions, how to graph the trig functions from memory (without a calculator), and ESPECIALLY all the trig identities you can find. Learn it by rote memorization or working problems or whatever, but make sure it's stuck forever in your brain. I tell you this because trig is all you really need to take out of high school geometry, but if you intend on doing more advanced math in the future, you will use these functions way more than you might think.

 

As for what to study for algebra 2, it's been a while for me, so I don't remember exactly what was covered, but speaking as someone about to finish up a mathematics BS, I think these are the important things:

 

Lines: Learn how to graph the line given by y=ax+b. Learn how to manipulate a linear equation to get it in the above form (e.g., ax+by=c --> y=(-a/b)x+c/b). Learn what is meant by "slope" (very important for calculus later on), "slope-intercept form," and "standard form." Once you've mastered all that, learn how to determine the equation for a line from a point on the line and the slope of the line (e.g., point=(a,b) and slope=m --> y=m(x-a)+b), then learn how to determine the slope and then the equation given two points on the line (e.g., (a,b) & (c,d) --> m=((d-b)/(c-a)) --> y=((d-b)/(c-a))*(x-a)+b). Learn how to solve for y AND how to solve for x -- you basically need to be able to solve for any variable in the equation (at least for linear equations like this) Once you're feeling thoroughly bored or adventurous, try solving a system of equations (e.g., 3x+y=4 & x-y=1 --> x=5/4 & y=1/4). Then you can play around with finding lines perpendicular to one another, higher dimensions (e.g., 3x+6y-4z=0), or whatever, if you like.

 

Numbers: It sounds stupid, but learn your numbers. Learn what is meant by the "natural numbers," "whole numbers," "integers," "rational numbers," "irrational numbers," "algebraic irrational numbers," "transcendental irrational numbers," "real numbers," and, if you like, "complex numbers."

 

Exponents and Radicals: Learn what is meant by "exponential," "exponent" or "power," "base," "radical," and "radicand." Learn how to raise both sides of an equation to a given power, how to express exponents in different ways (e.g., 1/sqrt(x) = 1/x^(1/2) = x^(-1/2)), how to multiply exponents (e.g., x^a*x^b=x^(a+b)), and how to apply powers multiple times (e.g. (x^a)^b=x^(ab)). If you're feeling adventurous, learn about logarithms (it wouldn't hurt at all to memorize the fact that [math]log_{b}a=x[/math] is equivalent to [math]b^{x}=a[/math]). There are also several important logarithm properties, but you'll get to all that in precalc.

 

Polynomials: Memorize the quadratic formula. It is a very good idea to learn how to derive it yourself, actually, but it's definitely not a bad idea to know the thing off the top of your head. Learn how to factor quadratics by the quadratic formula or by "completing the square" (e.g., x^2+2x=0 --> x^2+2x+1=1 --> (x+1)^2=1). Learn how to divide polynomials (e.g. (x^2+4x+3)/(x+1)=x+3). Learn how to factor other polynomials by various "guess-and-check" methods. You can also look into how to graph rational functions (e.g., (x^2+3x-4)*(x-9)/(x^2*(x=3))).

 

That's about all I can think of, and I probably either overshot and gave you too much or missed the mark and gave you nothing but review. But that's the general idea, as far as I can remember, for what you need to know before a precalc class. Algebra, at this point, is nothing but fiddling with equations to get one variable by itself. Once you feel pretty comfortable with that, you can move on to basic calculus ideas, which include (in order) the infinite sequence (optional), the limit, the derivative, the infinite series (optional), and the integral. The optional ones aren't optional if you're looking to prove everything you do, but the other three (limit, derivative, integral) are the main, INCREDIBLY important, ideas for calculus. Don't expect to breeze through them -- most people have difficulty covering them in a year or even more -- study the limit extensively before moving to the derivative, and likewise the derivative before the integral. Then there's differential equations, but I think you'll have enough for now.

[Ophiolite]

Learn it by rote memorization[/b'] or working problems or whatever, but make sure it's stuck forever in your brain.

The best piece of advice in the thread. It is easy to dismiss the boring stuf, that has to be learnt parrot fashion. Everybody wants to get on to the interesting parts of the subject, but you must master the fundamentals, no matter how mundane they seem. Clearly, this applies to every topic, not just math. ****Cliche warning**** Don't run before you can walk.

[Auk]

Psi 20 what is Ross? Is that a website?

[Woxor]

The best piece of advice in the thread. It is easy to dismiss the boring stuf, that has to be learnt parrot fashion. Everybody wants to get on to the interesting parts of the subject, but you must master the fundamentals, no matter how mundane they seem. Clearly, this applies to every topic, not just math. ****Cliche warning**** [i']Don't run before you can walk.[/i]

Very true. For mathematics, I would say, "Don't run before you can walk forwards, backwards, sideways, up and down stairs, in the dark, on ice, and in your sleep. Power walking and moonwalking are also good to know." Math is insanely cumulative.

[psi20]

Ross is a store (pretty big compared to some of the ones I've been to, although I rarely go shopping for stuff). Might not be around your area.

 

You could also buy it online, although I wouldn't recommend it if you know what I mean.

[Auk]

Actually im thinking of getting it off of Ebay. And no I do not get what you mean

[P_Rog]

you should be able to double up on your math courses by taking geometry and alg. 2 in the same year.

[Gilded]

"They teach maths very slowly in here. For example, this year, we were thought Pythagoras' Theorem."

 

Hmmh. Finland seems to have the same problem too. We don't have a problem with the advanced mathematics in high school though, it's even starting to seem that I should drop down to the less advanced math (but the cursed chemistry and physics calculation buggers need the adv. maths :< ).

[Thorium]

I know how everybody feels, the stuff I was learning a few years ago was sad, and I bet, in a few years, I will look at this stuff I am doing now and think the same of it