Math Help

Do you have a math question?

I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite.
G. K. Chesterton. From Oxymoronica
M. Grothe, HarperResources, 2004 (p. 157)

There are ways and ways to address this problem. Almost certainly we'll be able to help, unless it is a research question you mean to ask in jest. Post questions concerning specific pages directly at those pages. At the bottom of every page there is a tool to this end. General questions related to mathematics or to the site should be posted at the Interactive Mathematics Miscellany Facebook page.

Web is a striking opportunity for learning and ... for eschewing learning. There are places on the web where questions are answered - no strings attached, especially if the answers are rewarded. But mostly there are nice people around there who's willing to assist anyone seeking knowledge, not just an answer to a question. So be prepared for a response that starts with a question, like "What did you do to solve your problem?" Never forget that no one could care more for your homework than you do. So always give yourself space to learn. Do not ask questions at the last moment. Most of all, give yourself a chance to enjoy what you are learning.

If it happens that you need help regularly, you should probably consider hiring a tutor or sign up for an online course. Many are available. A good tutor should not only know "how" but also "why" and be able to communicate that knowledge. Hiring a tutor may be more expensive relative to attending a course - just do the arithmetic: a course is given to a class of a few students, while tutoring is mostly individual. Tutoring has an advantage in that a tutor has more freedom to investigate and adapt to the student's needs. The setup for a course, on the other hand, is likely to be more systematic and better equipped with, say, well tested exercises, spreadsheets and means of communications.

Even when you choose tutoring or a more systematic study under a tutelage of a teacher, make it a habit to check yourself after every session: what was the gain? May the method of solution work under different circumstances or for a different problem. Turn the problem and the answer in your head. You may learn more than you have expected.

This site offers a huge amount of solved problems (arithmetic and algebra, probability, geometry), interactive games and puzzles with mathematical content that could be used by homeschoolers or just those who would like to stay in touch while away from school, like during vacation time, and several tutorials (Complex numbers, Word problems, Probability, What Is Infinity?, Mathematical Induction). There is also an unorthodox approach to learning to solve word problems.

There is a google search control in the navigational column on the right. Try searching this site; it offers a good deal of information on great many K12 (and beyond) topics. The site has been listed in the wikipedia among the select few online resources.

You are welcome to comment and pose questions (with the above caveats) at specific pages. At the bottom of every page there is a discussion area run by Spot.im.


Copyright © 1996-2018 Alexander Bogomolny

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