Finding a Locus: Algebra and Geometry
Last time we looked at the meaning of the concept of locus. This time, we’ll explore seven examples, from two students. We’ll look at both algebraic (equation) and geometric (description) perspectives.
Algebra
Logs of Negative or Complex Numbers
Last time we considered negative bases for logarithms; in that discussion it was mentioned that complex numbers can change everything. This will allow us to do things like finding logs of negative numbers; but it will also make things, well, more complex! Let’s take a look.
Why Can’t a Logarithm Have a Negative Base?
We’ve looked at the basics of logs and how they work; now we have some questions testing the limits of the definition. We’ll focus on the inverse idea of exponential functions with a negative base, looking at this from several perspectives.
Why Do Logarithms Work That Way?
Last time, we introduced logarithms by way of their history. Here, we’ll look at their properties.
Where Do Logarithms Come From?
Having answered many questions recently about logarithms, I realized we haven’t yet covered the basics of that topic. Here we’ll introduce the concept by way of its history, and subsequently we’ll explore how they work.
Casting Out Nines: Why It Works
Last week we looked at how to “cast out nines” to check arithmetic, and touched only briefly on its relationship with modular arithmetic and remainders. Here we’ll look at several explanations of why it works, aimed at different levels of students, with varying levels of success..
Algebra Word Problems: Learning from Mistakes
A recent series of questions from an insightful high school student about word problems, provided a number of opportunities to discuss how to find and correct your mistakes – or the book’s! We’ll look at five.
Complex Powers of Complex Numbers
Having looked at issues surrounding powers and roots of complex numbers, including fractional powers, let’s go even further and consider complex powers of complex bases. Things will get a little weird as we work toward \((2+3i)^{3+2i}\)!
Powers of Roots and Roots of Powers
Last time, we looked at two recent questions about combining squares and roots, and implications for the properties of exponents. We didn’t have space for some older questions that we referred to. Here, we will go there.
Squares, Roots, and Negative Numbers
(New questions of the week) Two recent questions (five days apart, from high school students in different countries) were about nearly the same thing, and fit nicely together: What do you get when you square a square root, or take the square root of a square, but don’t know the sign of the number ahead …