Catalog Search Results
Publisher
The Great Courses
Language
English
Description
We commonly define the Pythagorean theorem using the formula a2 + b2 = c2. But Pythagoras himself would have been confused by that. Explore how this famous theorem can be explained using common geometric shapes (no fancy algebra required), and how it’s a critical foundation for the rest of geometry.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 9
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
Logic is intellectual self-defense against such assaults on reason and also a method of quality control for checking the validity of your own views. But beyond these very practical benefits, informal logic—the kind we apply in daily life—is the gateway to an elegant and fascinating branch of philosophy known as formal logic, which is philosophy’s equivalent to calculus. Formal logic is a breathtakingly versatile tool. Much like a Swiss army...
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2015.
Language
English
Description
Discover the timeless riddles and paradoxes that have confounded the greatest philosophical, mathematical, and scientific minds in history. Stretching your mind to try to solve a puzzle, even when the answer eludes you, can help sharpen your mind and focus - and it’s an intellectual thrill!
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2014.
Language
English
Description
We say that pi is 3.14159 … but what is pi really? Why does it matter? And what does it have to do with the area of a circle? Explore the answer to these questions and more—including how to define pi for shapes other than circles (such as squares).
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2009.
Language
English
Description
Continue your study of math fundamentals by exploring various procedures for converting between percents, decimals, and fractions. Professor Sellers notes that it helps to see these procedures as ways of presenting the same information in different forms.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2015.
Language
English
Description
Discover why all numbers are interesting and why 0.99999... is nothing less than the number 1. Learn that your intuition about breaking spaghetti noodles is probably wrong. Finally, see how averages - from mileage to the Dow Jones Industrial Average - can be deceptive.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2015.
Language
English
Description
Classical mechanics is full of paradoxical phenomena, which Professor Kung demonstrates using springs, a slinky, a spool, and oobleck (a non-Newtonian fluid). Learn some of the physical principles that make everyday objects do strange things. Also discussed (but not demonstrated) is how to float a cruise ship in a gallon of water.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2015.
Language
English
Description
See how the founders of the U.S. struggled with a mathematical problem rife with paradoxes: how to apportion representatives to Congress based on population. Consider the strange results possible with different methods and the origin of the approach used now. As with voting, discover that no perfect system exists.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2009.
Language
English
Description
Begin to find solutions for quadratic equations, starting with the FOIL technique in reverse to find the binomial factors of a quadratic trinomial (a binomial expression consists of two terms, a trinomial of three). Professor Sellers explains the tricks of factoring such expressions, which is a process almost like solving a mystery.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2017.
Language
English
Description
Dip into R, which is a popular open-source programming language for use in statistics and data science. Consider the advantages of R over spreadsheets. Walk through the installation of R, installation of a companion IDE (integrated development environment) RStudio, and how to download specialized data packages from within RStudio.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2015.
Language
English
Description
Close the course by asking the big questions about puzzles and paradoxes: Why are we so obsessed with them? Why do we relish the mental dismay that comes from contemplating a paradox? Why do we expend so much effort trying to solve conundrums and riddles? Professor Kung shows that there's method to this madness!
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
Word problems. Does that phrase strike fear into your heart? Relax with Professor Tanton's tips on cutting through the confusing details about groups and objects, particularly when ratios and proportions are involved. Your handy visual devices include blocks, paper strips, and poker chips.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2009.
Language
English
Description
Professor Sellers introduces the general topics and themes for the course, describing his approach and recommending a strategy for making the best use of the lessons and supplementary workbook. Warm up with some simple problems that demonstrate signed numbers and operations.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2017.
Language
English
Description
Geometry and trigonometry are used to determine the areas of simple figures such as triangles and circles. But how are more complex shapes measured? Calculus comes to the rescue with a technique calledintegration, which adds the simple areas of many tiny quantities.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2017.
Language
English
Description
A number is prime if it is evenly divisible by only itself and one: for example, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11. Professor Benjamin proves that there are an infinite number of primes and shows how they are the building blocks of our number system.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2014.
Language
English
Description
Define what it means for polygons to be "similar"or "congruent"by thinking about photocopies. Then use that to prove the third key assumption of geometry—the side-angle-side postulate—which lets you verify when triangles are similar. Thales of Ionia used this principle in 600 B.C.E. to impress the Egyptians by calculating the height of the pyramids.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2017.
Language
English
Description
Step into fully modeling the relationship between data with the most common technique for this purpose: linear regression. Using R and data on the growth of wheat under differing amounts of rainfall, test different models against criteria for determining their validity. Cover common pitfalls when fitting a linear model to data.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2017.
Language
English
Description
Turn to an entirely different approach for doing statistical inference: Bayesian statistics, which assumes a known prior probability and updates the probability based on the accumulation of additional data. Unlike the frequentist approach, the Bayesian method does not depend on an infinite number of hypothetical repetitions. Explore the flexibility of Bayesian analysis.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2009.
Language
English
Description
Investigating more real-world applications of linear equations, derive the formula for converting degrees Celsius to Fahrenheit; determine the boiling point of water in Denver, Colorado; and calculate the speed of a rising balloon and the time for an elevator to descend to the ground floor.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2017.
Language
English
Description
Move beyond point estimates to consider the confidence interval, which provides a range of possible values. See how this tool gives an accurate estimate for a large population by sampling a relatively small subset of individuals. Then learn about the choice of confidence level, which is often specified as 95%. Investigate what happens when you adjust the confidence level up or down.
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