Question

When the math teacher says " Mathematics builds upon itself." What does he mean?

Answer 1

well I just took group theory for the first time. We started with 4 assumptions. The rest of the entire class was built off of those 4 assumptions

Answer 2

in analysis we started with maybe 12 axioms, then built parts of calculus.

Answer 3

I think the best example of what you are asking about would be Euclid's elements. It starts with the definition of a point, and each book has a major conclusion..I think book one is Pythagorean theorem proof.

Answer 4

here is an analogy for maths... which is really just about patterns.

you need a good basic toolkit to be able to fix whatever you are confronted with. It the tools are sound and well maintained, you can fix anything.

Answer 5

which is true of maths... as success requires sound basics that just get used over and over again

Answer 6

Because you can't do calculus if you don't understand basic arithmetic.

Answer 7

you need the building blocks of general math to trigonometry otherwise you are doomed. Just practice the old material in advance or practice some old material and new material.

Answer 8

math is deductive

Answer 9

math is cumulative and it *(@#*(#()@*@)#*#@) blows when material that you haven't used in oh 5 years comes back to haunt you

Answer 10

imho Elementary LInear ALgebra is easier than Calculus I

Answer 11

My memory from Calculus II is coming back though and Calculus III is still recent.

Answer 12

Mathematics builds upon itself in much the same way that any language does.

Students should be taught how to understand the rules of mathematical language
and how the different structures and rules logically fit together.

Answer 13

ugh conceptual understanding speech...my math prof already grilled me once. blah blah blah this major may not be for you blah blah arghhhhh *throws a baseball )

Answer 14

he means its all a house of cards and when one falls over the rest is bound to crumble :)