Математическое образование в США

[leblon]

Познакомился с одним интересным человеком - профессором в местном университете. Долго говорили с ним о проблемах преподавания математики в школах, а под конец он признался, что написал книгу по истории этого вопроса. Очень информативно, a must read.

Comments

[posic.livejournal.com]

I regretted not knowing the decimal square root algorithm ever since I heard about its existence. Once I tried to ask my granmother, who learned it in school, but she was unable to explain the thing to me; apparently she had forgotten it. Having reread this comment of yours today, I started to write this reply, and then it occured to me to look for this algorithm in the Internet. And of course, I found it on a web resource for homeschooling parents -- http://www.homeschoolmath.net/teaching/square-root-algorithm.php . The exposition is good, and the thing itself is quite understandable. Learning is still alive, and it is the homeschoolers who keep the fire burning!

[chaource.livejournal.com]

I think the Newton method is superior; but I'm not sure.

[posic.livejournal.com]

It likely is, particularly when one needs great precision. But it is not for the sake of efficiency that I am interested in such algorithms. I am satisfied with just having an algorithm for the square root resembling the division algorithm that I know. The most efficient algorithms are rarely the most interesting ones from a mathematician's point of view. E.g., there are beautiful algorithms for computing quantities like \pi and e based on the Euler-MacLaurin formula. They are fast enough to be used for demonstrative purposes in a classroom, but I've never heard about them being used for actual computations by the contemporary programmers or numerical analysts.