11-18-2002, 11:11 PM
Hmmph. Ya, teaching keystrokes is stupid. A stupid calculator will give you just the tax that goes on top. A scientific calculator will give you $11.73 (4% of the last item, on top of the first two). Etc. Etc.
Metalfan, what do you mean most calculators use RPN? If we're talking about the machine code on the imbedded system, sure, it probably does because it has the opcodes and the values on a stack, popping and pushing results in order. However, every calculator still has a scheme that changes your input into RPN form. A cheapo calculator will turn "5+3 x 2" into 2 3 5 + x, and a scientific calculator will internally turn it into 5 3 2 x +.
But HP calculators, you actually enter it in RPN notation. Everyone else, and I mean EVERYONE uses infix notation to ENTER the numbers. And really, that's all we care about. Do you really care how the elevator controller "sees" it when you press your floor?
As far as school, ya I mean, I might understand not making the kiddies do all the decimal multiplication. MIGHT. In Jr. High, I was doing chemistry calculations that involved multiplying two five digit numbers, and I eventally trained myself to do them so Damn fast that I wasn't even stopping to think,... it was just flowing. If everyone did that, maybe we'd win a Math Olympiad once in a while. :-( Definitely, though, when the process is a lot more important than the numbers, knock yourself out. I have rarely gotten to use them on tests since trig.
Good luck with the note, Angel.
Metalfan, what do you mean most calculators use RPN? If we're talking about the machine code on the imbedded system, sure, it probably does because it has the opcodes and the values on a stack, popping and pushing results in order. However, every calculator still has a scheme that changes your input into RPN form. A cheapo calculator will turn "5+3 x 2" into 2 3 5 + x, and a scientific calculator will internally turn it into 5 3 2 x +.
But HP calculators, you actually enter it in RPN notation. Everyone else, and I mean EVERYONE uses infix notation to ENTER the numbers. And really, that's all we care about. Do you really care how the elevator controller "sees" it when you press your floor?
As far as school, ya I mean, I might understand not making the kiddies do all the decimal multiplication. MIGHT. In Jr. High, I was doing chemistry calculations that involved multiplying two five digit numbers, and I eventally trained myself to do them so Damn fast that I wasn't even stopping to think,... it was just flowing. If everyone did that, maybe we'd win a Math Olympiad once in a while. :-( Definitely, though, when the process is a lot more important than the numbers, knock yourself out. I have rarely gotten to use them on tests since trig.
Good luck with the note, Angel.
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