Monday, December 16, 2019
Better question
Supposedly an easier way to solve quadratic equations.
I can see the logic of the method, and I'm always in favor of understanding a situation deeply enough that you don't need to memorize a formula.
But in this case the derivation is harder to remember than the formula. There are a couple of counterintuitive steps that defeat the purpose of non-memorized understanding.
Bigger question: Do we ever NEED to solve quadratic equations? I've been doing bookkeeping and electronics and graphics for 50 years, using quite a bit of math, and often using the basic manipulations of algebra. I've never needed to solve a quadratic equation.
I use lots of squares and square-roots, in the context of RMS or reactance or polar to rect conversion. Those processes don't turn into quadratic equations. In the slide-rule era they could be solved with trig functions, and in the computer era they can be programmed directly.
Labels: Asked better than answered
¶ 12:45 AM
