Why are we still teaching algebra?

[Prashun Patel]

X-cuse me for asking, but Y are we still debating this?

[Mike Kreinhop]

X-cuse me for asking, but Y are we still debating this?

OMG! R U 4 real?

[Jim Becker]

X-cuse me for asking, but Y are we still debating this?

You haz Z gumption to ask?

[John K Jordan]

X-cuse me for asking, but Y are we still debating this?

I for 1 luv C-ing how many creekerz use z X n Y.

[Ron Bontz]

Short story: Once upon a time in a dynamics class the question was asked of the instructor, who was an older (pre computer) engineer, why we have to go through all the calculous, diffy Q, etc. when the computer does so much of it. His answer was simple. "So we recognize bad numbers when we see them and the dam doesn't fail.". Garbage in = garbage out, basically. I did not finish my last year of engineering, but have never regretted all that math, etc. Even something as simple as flow rates of fire hose involve algebra. So that's my story and I am sticking with it.

[Jim Koepke]

"So we recognize bad numbers when we see them and the dam doesn't fail."

That is likely one of the best reasons to stay sharp at things mathematical.

Today while shopping the cans of tomato sauce were priced in a way that looked strange to me. In other words it looked like the larger cans were more expensive than the smaller cans. The only problem for the average shopper is the shelf tag for one was broken down to cost per ounce and the other was price per pound. This kind of bugs me when the people doing the programming can't keep these breakdowns in the units.

One of the strangest times was when milk was at 99¢ for a half gallon and the gallons were priced at $2.59. When this was mentioned to someone who was buying a few gallon containers of milk, his reply was his kids drink it faster if he buys it in the half gallon jugs.

Wouldn't that be good for the kids?

jtk

[Lee DeRaud]

"So we recognize bad numbers when we see them..."

In 1971/72, HP used our engineering school for a mass beta-test of one of their early hand-held scientific calculators. (Can't recall the model number offhand...I just remember I couldn't deal with their RP input scheme and switched to TI at the first opportunity.) The professor in an advanced physics class I was taking forbid their use, insisting that everyone use slide rules or do the computations by hand. When asked why, he said, "Your answer will still be wrong no matter how many decimal places you compute it to."

[Jason Roehl]

Today while shopping the cans of tomato sauce were priced in a way that looked strange to me. In other words it looked like the larger cans were more expensive than the smaller cans. The only problem for the average shopper is the shelf tag for one was broken down to cost per ounce and the other was price per pound. This kind of bugs me when the people doing the programming can't keep these breakdowns in the units.

I don't think that was a mistake. If the price per unit were consistent across the different size container, you could more easily choose the most economical and least profitable option. They're counting on the likelihood that you can't do the math (or won't). Of course, even though I tend to be pretty cheap, I've gotten to where I value my time more, so I don't fret a few bucks here and there. I buy what I want/need, and go by whether or not I'm willing to spend the amount of the listed price. The larger the price, the more willing I am to comparison shop for a better deal.

[Art Mann]

Astute observation, Jason. The stores are taking advantage of the general mathematical illiteracy of the population. The OP may think it is a good idea to dumb down high school mathematics but I don't and this is a good example of why.

[John K Jordan]

...The stores are taking advantage of the general mathematical illiteracy of the population.

How about things priced at $3.99 or $89.95? To me this is incredibly idiotic. This is a careful scheme to trick the educationally deprived and cognitively challenged into buying something because they think it's cheaper.

https://www.livescience.com/33045-wh...99-cents-.html

It also makes it more difficult for people to estimate how much they are spending as they put things in the shopping cart. I'm not the only one who does this, right? (I love the dollar store. The "everything's a euro" store across the pond is even better since the tax is included in the posted price - it says 2 euros, you hand the clerk 2 euros.)

When a clerk or phone rep tells me something is $49.99 I say, ok, 50 bucks. Sometimes this confuses them for a moment.

If I were King I would decree that using the digit 9 to deceive be punishable by a week in the dungeon. While I'm at it, the .9 cents added to each gallon of fuel will also be banished.

JKJ

[Mel Fulks]

I see it as a nonsensical custom. Doesn't take much of a scientist to come up with an evil reason for it. Or to see that $1.99 takes a big bite out of a two dollar bill. Did you know that sports fans are often hypnotized to do the "wave" to cool the air and that it can make change fall out of a shirt pocket?

[Jim Koepke]

I've gotten to where I value my time more

The person who puts money in my pocket for not spending a few seconds to do an easy calculation has never shown their face in my presence.

The less than a minute calculation saved me more than a half a dollar on my purchase of quite a few cans of tomato sauce.

Another quick calculation makes it quite clear that even if it took a whole minute the return would be better than $30 bucks an hour.

My feeling is it is time well spent for savings like that all day long.

Besides, it is a way of making my brain exercise.

jtk

[Pat Barry]

$19.99 is less expensive than $20.00. Everyone knows that and has a huge jar of penny's to prove it.

[Jim Koepke]

$19.99 is less expensive than $20.00. Everyone knows that and has a huge jar of penny's to prove it.

You must live in one of the five states without sales tax.

jtk

[Jason Roehl]

I should mention, that if there's a painfully obvious price advantage across package sizes, I'll take the better deal. All too often, I'll see something that's $1.99 for 8 oz. and $3.99 for 16 oz. Ummm...