http://www.articlealley.com en-us editorial@articlealley.com We all know how annoying and vexing the common cold virus can be, particularly during the winter season. Nobody likes that runny nose or that constant urge to sneeze; nor is the coughing, headache, or scratchy throat anything to write home about. To avo... http://www.articlealley.com/article_111496_22.html 12th December 2006 So you love to write and you found out about submitting articles on the worldwide web. You ask yourself whether you can actually get good exposure from spending time writing articles and whether it’s worth the effort. After all, like me, you’re a no... http://www.articlealley.com/article_111116_50.html 11th December 2006 Labor Day is fast approaching and you can almost smell the students at the front door of your classroom. Another year and another sixty or so Algebra I students to grapple with. And although the first few weeks might go fine, you know that as you hit th... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110813_22.html 08th December 2006 Why is math so hard to teach and why are there so few good math teachers? Whether you are a student, parent, or yes—even a math teacher—you know how true this question is. Effective math teaching requires more than just a good handle on the subject. ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110548_22.html 07th December 2006 Mathematics has a way of taking us by the hand and not just leading us down the path of reason, as Pythagoras once said, but sometimes down the path of insanity. With all the beautiful truths that math can show us, there are also inherent contradictions ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110258_22.html 06th December 2006 When I contemplate the title of this article, I enter a reverie which catapults me back twenty-five years to my college days. Back then, I learned how hard mathematics was. Often I felt inferior to tackle such a difficult subject with my limited brain c... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110257_22.html 06th December 2006 Nothing smarts so much as when the world gives you a good butt-kicking. Nobody—not even the rich and famous—are immune to such occasional whippings. But the rich, famous, and highly successful have their riches, fame, and financial success to lean b... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110256_24.html 06th December 2006 Writing has always been a favorite pastime of mine. When I discovered article writing a year ago, the means for expressing myself as well as the ability to share my knowledge with others became possible. This open forum has created a dialogue with my re... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110255_50.html 06th December 2006 When I decided to become a mathematics major in college, I knew that in order to complete this degree, two of the required courses—besides advanced calculus—were Probability Theory and Math 52, which was statistics. Although probability was a course ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110254_22.html 06th December 2006 Calculus does have its limits. Indeed. In order to understand the pun of the first sentence, you need to know that calculus has two key branches: differential and integral. Although the concept of limit belongs to both branches and is an essential comp... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110253_22.html 06th December 2006 As part of a subcategory within my “Why Study Math” series, I am pleased to introduce a new group or articles that will touch upon some of the higher branches of mathematics. The purpose of these writings will be to introduce people—particularly th... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110252_22.html 06th December 2006 Oh, that field of math. Don’t you just love to hate it? Yet you have to admit that when someone explains some of its beauty to you and you get it, you marvel at how amazing a field it actually is. Such is the case with number sequences and in partic... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110251_22.html 06th December 2006 "A mathematician who is not also something of a poet will never be a complete mathematician." -- Karl Weierstrass C’mon a mathematician who’s a poet! Give me a break. Isn’t that as compatible as a snake and a mongoose? You mean there really is... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110248_22.html 06th December 2006 There’s an old joke about two schoolboys that basically goes as follows: Johnny, one of the boys, would go off to school every morning, and as he left his mother would yell, “Johnny, don’t forget your lunch!” The other boy, Steven, would go off, ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110247_24.html 06th December 2006 In this complex world of technological gadgetry, we run at a pace which would make our ancestors blush at the thought. Faxes are not even fast enough as we have email which is instantaneous. And no matter that you are not at your computer because many ce... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110245_51.html 06th December 2006 As students, we become comfortable with what we learn first. Of the four arithmetic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, we learn to add first and for this reason are most comfortable with addition. If we apply the principl... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110244_22.html 06th December 2006 Probably the most important fundamental branch of mathematics is algebra. No matter what anyone tells you folks, if your kid is not good at algebra, there is no shot that he will excel in any of the higher branches. In fact, the famous calculus is really... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110242_22.html 06th December 2006 So do you think as a mom or dad that the prestigious status of whiz kid, accorded to children with outstanding mathematical abilities, is reserved for the other parent’s children? Well think again. My bold claim is that any child can be accorded such ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110240_22.html 06th December 2006 The famous Greek mathematician Pythagoras (you know the one with that theorem) said, “Numbers have a way of taking you by the hand and leading you down the path of reason.” What Pythagoras was getting at, I think, is that numbers—by their very natu... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110236_22.html 06th December 2006 In Part II of this article, I discuss the other three follies of the common man: hate, spite, and unforgiveness. Clearly, these are three negative qualities, the first two being very strong negative emotions, and the last being a cancer-causing bitterness... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110222_24.html 06th December 2006 What sets the exceptional man apart from the common man is the way in which he approaches most day-to-day dealings. The exceptional man knows that no good deed goes unnoticed nor does it go unreturned. Just as night must follow day, good must follow good,... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110221_24.html 06th December 2006 The New Jersey HSPA (High School Proficiency Assessment) Test is one which all juniors in New Jersey high schools must take and pass in order to receive their diplomas. For many, this test presents a challenge as it consists of two sections, one in Engli... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110219_22.html 06th December 2006 The name Singapore derives from two Malay words meaning “lion city.” So what’s the connection between this small South-East Asian country of four million and arithmetic mastery? Well for one, the Singaporean mentality toward arithmetic mastery as ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110218_22.html 06th December 2006 For many juniors in high school, the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) looms as a big ugly monster on the horizon. Indeed for both parents and students, the anticipation of taking this test creates all kinds of unwelcome anxiety. The stress becomes enhance... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110217_22.html 06th December 2006 Submitting a good college essay is another aspect that has to be considered by the high school student who wishes to attend a competitive school. This essay, together with the SAT (see my article on SAT Test Preparation), are two key aspects that must be... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110216_22.html 06th December 2006 When people think of additional school help for their child who is struggling in math, they usually think of one-on-one private tutoring. Private tutoring is a great way to get help for your struggling child. As mentioned in my article on effective math... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110215_22.html 06th December 2006 People may think that the key to effective math tutoring, or tutoring in any area for that matter, is contingent upon the knowledge that the tutor brings to the table. While knowledge of one’s field is certainly important if a tutor is going to be effe... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110214_22.html 06th December 2006 Just as physical exercise is needed for the body, mental exercise is needed for the mind. In fact, research has shown that giving the mind a good workout regularly not only keeps those neuronal passageways clear and efficient but also mitigates against t... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110212_22.html 06th December 2006 “Numbers are the highest degree of knowledge. It is knowledge itself.” –Plato As the quote elucidates, knowledge sits on the shoulders of numbers. Whenever I encounter a quote like this, particularly when the source is as renowned as that of th... http://www.articlealley.com/article_106743_22.html 18th November 2006 Fractions are the pits. You know you can't just add or subtract them even though multiplying and dividing them is not too bad. But since addition is the most popular arithmetic operation, that's where the darn problem is. I mean those pesky denominator... http://www.articlealley.com/article_67779_22.html 28th June 2006 As a follow up to my article "The Magic of One Numbers Part I" I now continue with Part II in this fascinating series. For those who have not read the first article, please do so now so that you can better understand this one. Here I will show you a met... http://www.articlealley.com/article_67778_22.html 28th June 2006 Having just returned from the wake of a friend whose sister was killed in an apparent murder-suicide, I found myself wondering about the fragility of life and how close we all are to the portal of death. This too was the second time in a month that I was... http://www.articlealley.com/article_66743_51.html 25th June 2006 Do you know that numbers are the key to life? Indeed numbers form the foundations of mathematics from number theory all the way up to partial differential equations. Without these curious creatures, we could not calculate, estimate, or compute (as in co... http://www.articlealley.com/article_59537_22.html 04th June 2006 You must excel in math for many reasons. Math by its very nature is a rigorous subject which conditions the mind to work more efficiently than it otherwise would. One of the reasons I teach my short-cut arithmetic techniques is so that people who learn ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_58123_22.html 28th May 2006 "Aim High! There is little virtue in easy victory." �Sir Edmund Hillary, who with Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay, was the first man to successfully summit Mount Everest. Think of the effort that Sir Edmund Hillary must have put in to mount the 29,... http://www.articlealley.com/article_55028_81.html 21st May 2006 So you think you can't do math in your head, huh? Well, it all depends on how you do such math. After all, if given the right tools to do a job, then the job comes out right often enough. So why fret over the small stuff? Too often mathematics is made ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_54513_22.html 20th May 2006 As a former teacher of high school mathematics, I understand the day-to-day frustrations that any teacher might experience, particularly when trying to teach a subject like mathematics. The first day of class was always interesting. As teacher, I felt l... http://www.articlealley.com/article_47080_22.html 25th April 2006 You know it's true. If you want your children to master mathematics, you need to give them certain tools so that they can whip the heck out of this difficult subject. One of those tools is a mastery of arithmetic. Another is a mastery of fractions. Th... http://www.articlealley.com/article_44037_22.html 14th April 2006 You know it's funny. I'm making so much money online that I can't believe it's true. These internet gurus out there who sell all those money making programs are right. I'm about to quit my job because of them and spend most of my time at the gym and on... http://www.articlealley.com/article_42033_80.html 05th April 2006 All right. I'm sick and tired of all the hype on the internet. And I can't believe people actually fall for this stuff. You know, the promises of six-figure incomes�not yearly�but monthly; the promises to help you leave your day job within three months... http://www.articlealley.com/article_35759_15.html 13th March 2006 Admittedly fractions are trouble for most students. In my previous article I talked about why this is so. Percents and decimals too present their share of problems to young students�adults as well. There is an interesting connection between these three ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_35532_22.html 12th March 2006 So you think you're not good with math. Hmmm. Well that's something I hear all the time so you shouldn't feel too bad. The truth is, many, many people, at one time or another, have felt the same way, and have experienced something which has made them ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_35512_22.html 12th March 2006 In continuation of the "Why Study Math" series of articles, here we look at another conic section: the ellipse. The four conic sections, in order from most popularly known to least, are the circle, the ellipse, the parabola, and the hyperbola. Remember ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_35498_22.html 12th March 2006 How important on a scale of 1 to 10 would you say knowing how to do basic percents was? Personally, I cannot think of a more important basic math function than this. Yet most people struggle with the very basics of percent calculations. This should not... http://www.articlealley.com/article_35082_22.html 12th March 2006 Why is it that math geeks are considered squares? That is, why is the straight-A math student considered Mr. Un-popular in school? It's funny how twisted things are in life. The cool kids in school are the ones smoking pot and cigarettes, perhaps taki... http://www.articlealley.com/article_35059_22.html 12th March 2006 Math rules, and everything else drools. Well maybe not everything, but the truth is that math really is the king of subjects to study. For ultimately every subject in school�indeed everything�revolves around math. Even subjects that you would never thi... http://www.articlealley.com/article_34622_22.html 11th March 2006 Let's face it. We all want to be popular. Popular with friends, relatives (well, maybe not relatives�just kidding), coworkers, bosses, and so on. Popularity is associated with fun times, success, prosperity, and a whole array of other positive thought... http://www.articlealley.com/article_30699_24.html 20th February 2006 Fractions. Ugh! I could just hear the squeals coming from my students any time we entered the realm of these nasty little demons. Anytime we embarked on an area of mathematics that would require heavy fraction work, students would act as though we were... http://www.articlealley.com/article_30567_22.html 19th February 2006 The other night I was watching an episode of the show 20/20, in which John Stossell was exposing the dreadful situation of education in the American schools. In this episode, the host made a comparison between our schools and those in Belgium. For this ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_29252_22.html 14th February 2006 It is more than shameful that there is a group today who would actually presume to attack the Bible and its very contents. Now let's examine this from some different perspectives to see whether we can get to the bottom of this most detestable action. Wh... http://www.articlealley.com/article_29251_51.html 14th February 2006