Question

Is the khan academy algebra library really enough to teach me ALL algebra?

Answer 1

no, you will teach yourself

Answer 2

Using khanacademy? Or do you mean i should get a book?

Answer 3

Any descent library should be enough to teach you all that you need about algebra.

Answer 4

All i need to understand physics equations? I know i need trigonometry and calculus too but is it engough algebra?

Answer 5

I think it leaves out a lot. It is not a good place to start math from scratch. or someone who is just starting to learn a concept. It is great for a reference and good if you have the basic understanding of a subject and you want to learn more. For instance, lets say I know how to simplify and can do some basic equation. Well if I want to learn about the equation of a line, then Khan would be the spot I would look at.

Answer 6

I think i have a basic understanding. When you mean start from scratch, do you mean on a subject like functions or algebra in general?

Answer 7

Khanacademy is a good place to understand things but it is definitely not the best.

Answer 8

What is the best?

Answer 9

Books and your teacher and if you are persistent to learn from internet then probably this one http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/

Answer 10

Well, you could start on function from there but it all depend on how much algebra you already know. For instance, if you know the equation of a line, you can start with functions f(x) = mx + b, which is the equation of a line but is a function

Answer 11

What books do you recommend? Do you mean workbooks?

Answer 12

Doodletech, i didnt mean that I can to functions, it was just an example.

Answer 13

But the best is through books and a teacher / mentor.
Books will walk you through stuff step by step and also add some history and give you a better understand how things are working.

Answer 14

So what book do you recommend? Which one did you use?

Answer 15

nopeki, how old are you? which standard/class are you in?

Answer 16

14, but i consider myself a pretty fast learner so please dont take that into account too much.

Answer 17

If you want to know why i need to learn this is that i cant wait so man y years to be able to understand physics, i want to do that sooner.

Answer 18

What kind of physics are you interested in?

Answer 19

Great, then you should start with Hall and knight books for Algebra.

Answer 20

As an adult/ young adult I would recommend

Plato Interactive Mathematics Elementary Algebra

and once you are done with Elementary Algebra

Aufmann & Lockwood Intermediate Algebra an Applied Approach

Answer 21

They are not free though

Answer 22

-Quantum physics
-Ill look into that book, thanks!
-All of them or just one? Price doesnt matter as long as it isnt over 600$

Answer 23

I see. In that case, you're going to have to do some studying, as quantum physics lies around the upper-level undergraduate to graduate studies.

gl!

Answer 24

Thanks! Well if its for physics then i will do it :)

Answer 25

Quantum physics never interested me (yet!)

Answer 26

What kinds of physics interest you?

Answer 27

Usually, the mathematical maturity required to understand quantum physics is at the PDE level. Take, for example, Schrödinger's equation:\[i\hbar\frac{\partial}{\partial t}\Psi=\hat{H}\Psi.\]If that doesn't interest you, FFM, then I don't know what will!

:3

Answer 28

um I am not sure, I never find physics to be super interesting ... I only loved it because there is a chance of using calculus ...

Answer 29

Holy pellet thats a weird equation, what does it state?

Answer 30

Wasn't calculus born purely out of the dynamical concepts found within the classical physics anyway? XD

Answer 31

@Inopeki: "It is an equation that describes how the quantum state of a physical system changes in time."

Answer 32

I thought calculus was math inside of physics...

Answer 33

@across: I didn't studied PDE much (ye!) , and I am more of a kind of discrete guy, graph theory,combinatorics, probability,number theory,.. turns me on! :D

Answer 34

Is that what explains shrödingers cat?

Answer 35

I know shrödingers cat though, there was a episode about it BBT :D

Answer 36

Schrödinger's cat is something else.

FFM, I hold discrete mathematics on a high pedestal; it's such a marvelous field! Too bad that I decided to go into analysis, instead. :P

Answer 37

But shrödingers cat is about quantum physics, right?

Answer 38

i believe
"elementary algebra for schools" by hall and knight is in the public domain. don't let the "elementary" part fool you, this was written in 1906 and i know high school math teachers for whom the questions were not trivial

Answer 39

It is a metaphor for some happenings in quantum physics, yes.

Answer 40

http://www.archive.org/details/elementaryalgeb00kniggoog

Answer 41

Well there you go, Fool! How do you not find shrödingers cat interesting?

Answer 42

@across:

It's magical actually :D counting things without actually counting! I don't know how come anything could be better than that :D

Answer 43

This book was made 1885 XD

Answer 44

Inopeki:
- Your ambition is fantastic.
- As others have told you, you will need to understand classical physics before you can understand Quantum Mechanics
- In any event, you will need a great grounding in mathematics to understand quantum theory
- We have pointed you to the Khan Academy resources many times; they're not a bad place to start
- But ultimately you really need a mentor who can help you navigate through all of this material. This is what your real world teachers should help you with.

Answer 45

SO you are saying i should hire a private teacher?

Answer 46

So*

Answer 47

yes it is an old book, but there is not much new in elementary algebra in the last 500 years or so. it was written as if the reader is young and intelligent, as you seem to be, not as if math is too hard because you cannot think, as modern text books often are

Answer 48

@across:

btw, I have heard and noticed that people studying and very good at analysis are sufficiently weak in discrete counting stuffs is this really true or just another myth?

Answer 49

No, not necessarily. But now that you mention it, it's not a bad idea.

Answer 50

@Inopeki: Yes, try to find a study group too and try and prepare of mathematical Olympiad! that is the feast of real mathematics :)

Answer 51

@Inopeki: He's telling you to seek for people that will help you get there; in other words, try not to tackle all of this alone, as that will only leave you highly frustrated!

It may very well be a myth, but you've seen me: I can't do good statistics nor combinatorics to save my life. XD

Answer 52

lol, one of my professor who proudly flouts his PHD in analysis was unable to solve some counting problems :P He told me that he was never taught to count like that ...

Answer 53

JamesJ, Do you think that will "boost" my progress?Fool, nobody finds math interesting in my school, probably even in the city.. Their picture of math is the boring-retricemath they teach in schools here. across, what do you mean by the second part of your reply?

Answer 54

@FFM: Haha! I could totally picture that happening.

Answer 55

@Inopeki: Math is really huge and diverge subject so it's always good when someone tell you what to study now and what to save it for later.

Answer 56

@across: Actually , the best thing about combinatrics is that problems are relatively easy to understand compared to those of analysis, but the solutions are way way harder :D even someone with elementary knowledge of mathematics can understand the problem but solving it requires well enough maturity and practice.

Answer 57

Whats combinatrics? Whats analysis?

Answer 58

@Inopeki: I was replying to FoolForMath with that second paragraph.

Anyway, like James already mentioned, you have radiant aspiration to do these things. Stick to it, and it will take you very far. Remember that the keyword here is "patience;" take it one step at a time!

Answer 59

Should i take breaks? Not for eating and sleeping but i mean for other stuff.

Answer 60

here is a nice counting problem
http://openstudy.com/?F1098964329182WDAA3C=_#/updates/4f04ac82e4b075b56651e12e

Answer 61

@Inopeki: I'm suggesting you talk to your teacher, them then what you want to do and ask them for advice. Maybe they'll be inspired themselves to help you.

If you live in a city that has a university, then I'm absolutely sure there's a starving undergraduate out there who would be willing to meet with you 1-2 times/week and tutor you. If you can afford that, that would be ideal.

Answer 62

Ive been sitting with this pretty much for 2 and a half days straight now

Answer 63

Combinatorics is counting without actually counting, it is more like counting with the aid of models.

and analysis is ... I should leave it for the across/james

Answer 64

@JamesJ I doubt the teachers here have any sort of will to teach, my picture of them is that they just want their salary, but your other idea is great! Where can i find undergrads? I cant just walk up to someone and ask if they can teach me algebra..

Answer 65

@FoolForMath, i dont quite understand.

Answer 66

And talk to your parents. Ask them to help you find someone. That's what they are there for!

Answer 67

True! By the way, my brother just studied algebra and trigonomics, maybe i should ask him for some help?

Answer 68

This is a good place to start learning combinatorics: http://ocw.mit.edu/high-school/courses/combinatorics-the-fine-art-of-counting/index.htm

Answer 69

NONONONO. Dont get me started on something new, ill probably develop too much interest in it and just drop algebra.

Answer 70

I didn't realize OCW had high school level materials.

Answer 71

They do have actually, but I am not sure if all of the problems are supposed to solved at high school level though.

Answer 72

To be brutally honest, I am not able to solve many of them.

Answer 73

They are courses specifically designed by MIT for high school students.

But seriously, you'll only find the best of high school students surfing through the MIT/OCW project during their summer break, that's why they stretch it a little.

Answer 74

@Inopeki: On the point of learning only algebra, I will like to quote Ravi Vakil:

"mathematics is so rich and infinite that it is impossible to learn it systematically, and if you wait to master one topic before moving on to the next, you'll never get anywhere. Instead, you'll have tendrils of knowledge extending far from your comfort zone. Then you can later backfill from these tendrils, and extend your comfort zone; this is much easier to do than learning "forwards"

This works good for me! but I am not sure if this is universal.

Answer 75

FFM, for what it's worth I agree with you that many mathematicians aren't terrific at combinatorics if it isn't something they use often. But on the other hand, they can almost certainly get good at it.

Answer 76

FFM, with regards to advice for Inopeki, he has to learn a lot of basic stuff here. I understand your quote very well. But he has some basic blocking and tacking to do: manipulation of basic algebraic expressions, solutions of 2x2 systems of linear equations, understanding quadratics, learning trig functions, etc., etc.

Answer 77

I didn't know about his current mathematical ability but I guess the advice works more or less in general.

Answer 78

By the way, where can i buy that book?

Answer 79

For example if he just wait and try to master only algebra and don't even try learning the elementary trigonometry (simultaneously) I am not sure how well he could possibly improve.

Answer 80

As for my mathematical skills, they are pretty basic.

Answer 81

Yes, but my point is that doesn't mean one should reject the idea trying to systematically cover a lot of the basics. For sure I understand calculus much better now when I first learnt it. But if I hadn't learnt it first, I still wouldn't know anything about it.

Answer 82

JamesJ, what do you mean bu those last two sentences?

Answer 83

At his age, too, it'd be much better for him to learn math systematically than as Ravi Vakil suggested.

Answer 84

Anyway Inopeki. Talk to your parents for heaven's sake and get them to help you.

Answer 85

ill go do that right now James :D

Answer 86

what is systematically? Do you mean he should wait and master algebra only and leave trigonometry completely for later ?

Answer 87

Much better if you can find a mentor or even better tutor in real life where you are to help you navigate through this journey.

Again, fantastic you want to do it. But there's only so much we can help you with remotely.

Answer 88

@ffm: no, of course not. Don't be obtuse.

Answer 89

Well my mom agreed to help me with what she remembers, i think my brother is my best shot.

Answer 90

My point is just study different things in a day, don't get stuck on a particular thing and renounce everything else for later.

Answer 91

Great math lecture:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wa_v8kuF8o&feature=related

Answer 92

So i should to trigonometry and algebra simultaniously?

Answer 93

What is your syllabus? how much you are supposed to learn by the end of year/semester?

Answer 94

In the beginning, learn the basics. Learn Algebra. Start with Elementary algebra and go into intermediate. Once you have a good understanding of Algebra, not a master but a good understanding, move on to other things like trigonometry/Geometry and then more into pre calculus and then calculus and then physics and so on

Answer 95

Im not really sure, we dont use that kind of system here in sweden. usually have 4 chapters per year. we have done geometry and one other chapter so far. Its a worthless system because once we get into one subject we just have to switch, in my opinion we should have 2 or 1 chapter per year.

Answer 96

@DoodleTech what is pre calculus? How much time will the whole process take?

Answer 97

You might want to look at purplemath.com

Answer 98

I would say it is advance algebra