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HSC Mathematics Marathon (3 Viewers)

ZachBC_94

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Yep, I already see where I went wrong, namely leaving tan 2x out of there somewhere (which I'm assuming was important). Stuff this, I'm doing it on paper, scanning it and posting the image. Can't read my own typing...
 

Drongoski

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Better correct your devine to divine or God would be angry with you.
 
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ZachBC_94

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I would say that that is why I'm doing 4 unit maths, except I'm doing 4 unit English too. Fail
 

Drongoski

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I would say that that is why I'm doing 4 unit maths, except I'm doing 4 unit English too. Fail
C'mon. Don't be harsh on yourself. You are no different from the 95% who sux in spelling and grammar. These are unimportant. Trust me; they (sorry: ought to be these, haha) don't count anymore. Most of your younger English teachers are in the same boat.
 
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ZachBC_94

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It's more that usually I'm fine at it, but sleep deprivation has degraded me to a veritable husk of who I once was. I'm going to come out the other end of those exams and I'll be spelling properly and properly reading my coding once more (I hope)
 

Drongoski

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More seriously ZachBC-94, I was just pulling your leg and having a dig at the state of English spelling/grammar in today's cyberworld. Only people from the dinosaur age worry about such things.

And this coming from an n.e.s.b.
 
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ZachBC_94

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And it is for precisely that reason that I do care.

Because once everything is shortened, and people start accepting devine instead of divine as acceptable, we start to lose something. It's like Marshall McLuhan said, with every technological advancement, we effectively amputate some function of our body. Only now, we are amputating the English language.
 

Drongoski

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I can see you are a very sensible young man.

One of the casualties of the computer age is the collapse in the standard of handwriting. Understandably, apart from having to use it still for the HSC, it is not much used nowadays. 40 years ago some employers require job seekers to send in their applications in their own handwriting. I thought only handwriting in English has gotten crap. But I have read that the same malaise aflicts the Chinese as well.

Also on bos I have seen many people talk about how to write faster. They talk about pens & various attachments and aids. And secrets. They are like the proverbial blind leading the blind. My offer to teach handwriting has elicited relatively little interest.
 
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ZachBC_94

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It's a shame.

The worst thing though, is that it could be avoided. It is the unquestioning acceptance of the masses that gets me.

I guess that is what I admire most in the leading faces of the computer profession. It is those whose life is embodied by technology that seem to be able to see the importance of language.

I only hope we can diverge from the sad path we have set ourselves upon before translations of Hamlet look a lot more like - "2 B or nt 2 B, tht is ta qstn"
 
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orite, new qstn:

The equation x^n - px^(n-1) + q = 0 has a multiple root. Show that p^n (n-1)^(n-1) = qn^n
 

ZachBC_94

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New question? New question.

The quadratic equation has roots and .

(i) Find expressions for and .

(ii) Show that
 
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hscishard

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Not sure if there's a better way, I haven't done polynomials
i) is quite simple, -b/a and c/a
ii) You create a quadratic equation with roots a^10 and b^10
Let u=x^(1/5), solve via quadratic formula. You will get 2 complex roots. Add them(i.e. a^10 + b^10) and then use de-moivres theorem
 

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