this post was submitted on 11 Dec 2024
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[–] [email protected] 34 points 6 days ago (1 children)

100,000,001 is also divisible by 17

[–] [email protected] 18 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I'm really starting to think this 17 is not a good guy

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 days ago

Just wait until you find out that 17 is divisible by 17

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 days ago (1 children)

If it makes you feel any better, it's just (20 x 3) - (3 x 3).

I don't know why, but that makes me feel better.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 days ago (1 children)

This must be the new math that parents are so scared of.

Back in my day, we multiplied 3 by 17 because that's how you do it. You multiply 3 times 7, you multiply 3 times 10, and you add. Simple.

Adding three to 17, to make it 20, multiplying that by 3, and then multiplying that 3 by 3 to subtract js equally valid, and easier to work out mentally IMO. It lays the framework for good estimation skills, too.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

and easier to work out mentally IMO.

And this is the key factor to why math teaching has changed. Rote memorization is actually really really awful for learning.

Teaching math used to be a case of having students fill out their times tables. I still remember having to fill out this chart in under 5 minutes:

This was a quiz that we had to do multiple times per week. It was given to us blank, and 5 minutes obviously isn’t enough time to actually calculate everything; We were expected to have it memorized. And when the students had memorized the table, the quizzes changed into a series of small calculations from the table, again under 5 minutes. So if we ever had to calculate anything out, we could just refer to our memorized times table and pull the number off of that. But the issue is that this only works up to a certain point; Nobody is going to be able to reasonably memorize their times table beyond maybe 15x15. And this means that the times table essentially becomes worthless for doing math in larger numbers.

So instead, the “new” math teaches students how to take complicated problems (like 17x3) and break it down into easier steps. 17x3 is complicated, but 20x3 is just 2x3 with an added 0, and 3x3 is easy too. So if we can convert 17x3 into (20x3)-(3x3) then it becomes much easier to do in your head. Because not everyone can calculate 17x3 accurately, but virtually anyone beyond 1st grade can calculate 60-9.

The “new” math was developed by studying how the students who were good at math actually did their calculations. And it turns out, when you actually understand the concepts, you can create mental shortcuts to break the difficult problem down into a series of smaller problems. And that’s exactly what the “new” math does.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 days ago

3 is the real culprit

[–] [email protected] 20 points 6 days ago (2 children)

So simple math problems are blowing people's minds now?

[–] [email protected] 18 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Always has been.

Just wait for the annual "PEDMAS vs PEMDAS" ~~discussion~~ flame-war on any major social media platform.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago

"Pedmas" sounds like a holiday for pedophiles...

End of debate.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Why? Not sure what the debate is, if you divide/multiply first?

[–] sugar_in_your_tea 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It can matter if you don't have enough significant figures, so I tend to do division last to preserve as much precision as I can. In theory it shouldn't matter, but it can matter in practice.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

So the debate is whether it could or could not matter?

[–] sugar_in_your_tea 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

No, the debate is stupid.

I'm just saying there is a situation where it could matter, not that the debate is valid.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

Ah, I'm still trying to figure out what the debate is. Sorry mate, but thanks for trying to respond, I appreciate you having tried. I'm just missing something.

[–] someacnt 1 points 5 days ago

I am more impressed that people know about divisibility. What's next, random people knowing about ideals?

[–] [email protected] 16 points 6 days ago (1 children)

three is the first number that starts to cause problems.

[–] sugar_in_your_tea 6 points 6 days ago

Three is my favorite number, you take that back.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 days ago

Dart players know this

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago

This bugged me but then again

30 / 3 = 10 21 / 3 = 7

7+10 = 17

So yeah that makes perfect sense.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

By a similar pattern, 91 is not a prime number. Really got me once.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Is it 13? I bet it's 13. Bloody thing keeps making trouble.

[–] sugar_in_your_tea 3 points 5 days ago

Yup, 7 and 13.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

Good news, everyone. 314159 is not evenly divisible by 17, just as you'd expect.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

21 being divisible by 7 was already weird, so this just seem like more of the same.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

So when I turn 51 I can get into a relationship with three 17 year olds and all together they will be a perfect match for me... 🤔

Math is awesome.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

Cryptographers hate this one simple trick.

[–] Zeppo 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I’ve been aware of this since I was about 8. Not sure what Chloe is so upset about.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Maybe she was 2 cents short of figuring out the answer she was looking for?

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