In a recent submission to "The Physics Teacher," we related how trigonometric identities can be used to find the extremes of several functions in order to solve some standard physics problems that would usually be considered to require calculus. In this work, the functions to be examined are polynomials, which suggests the utilization of…

Solution of problems in mathematics, and in particular in the field of Euclidean geometry is in many senses a form of artisanship that can be developed so that in certain cases brief and unexpected solutions may be obtained, which would bring out aesthetically pleasing mathematical traits. We present four geometric tasks for which different proofs…

Calculators with computer algebra systems (CAS) are powerful tools when working with equations and algebraic expressions in mathematics. When calculators are allowed to be used during assessments but are not available or provided to every student, they may cause bias. The CAS calculators may also have an impact on the trustworthiness of results.…

The notion of periodicity stands for regular recurrence of phenomena in a particular order in nature or in the actions of man, machine, etc. Many examples can be given from daily life featuring periodicity. Mathematically the meaning of periodicity is that some value recurs with a constant frequency. Students learn about the periodicity of the…

In some secondary mathematics curricula, there is a topic called Stereometry that deals with investigating the position and finding the intersection, angle, and distance of lines and planes defined within a prism or pyramid. Coordinate system is not used. The metric tasks are solved using Pythagoras' theorem, trigonometric functions, and sine and…

For almost all students, what happens when they push buttons on their calculators is essentially magic, and the techniques used are seemingly pure wizardry. In this article, the author draws back the curtain to expose some of the mathematics behind computational wizardry and introduces some fundamental ideas that are accessible to precalculus…

Using modern technology to examine classical mathematics problems at the high school level can reduce difficult computations and encourage generalizations. When teachers combine historical context with access to technology, they challenge advanced students to think deeply, spark interest in students whose primary interest is not mathematics, and…

Trigonometry is one of the topics in mathematics that the students in both high school and pre-undergraduate levels need to learn. Generally, the topic covers trigonometric functions, trigonometric equations, trigonometric identities and solving oblique triangles using the Laws of Sines and Cosines. However, when solving the oblique triangles,…

Three major techniques are employed to calculate [pi]. Namely, (i) the perimeter of polygons inscribed or circumscribed in a circle, (ii) calculus based methods using integral representations of inverse trigonometric functions, and (iii) modular identities derived from the transformation theory of elliptic integrals. This note presents a…

In this paper we have converted the Laplace transform into an integral equation of the first kind of convolution type, which is an ill-posed problem, and used a statistical regularization method to solve it. The method is applied to three examples. It gives a good approximation to the true solution and compares well with the method given by…

Presents an approach to Vieta's formula involving pi and infinite product expansions of the sine and cosine functions. Indicates how the formula could be used in computing approximations of pi. (MVL)

Describes a five-step graphing method for various trigonometric periodic functions. Emphases is on teaching constants and functions. (YP)

Some appearances of pi in a wide variety of problems are presented. Sections focus on some history, the first analytical expressions for pi, Euler's summation formula, Euler and Bernoulli, approximations to pi, two and three series for the arctangent, more analytical expressions for pi, and arctangent formulas for calculating pi. (MNS)

Provides some significant figure rules used in chemistry including the general theoretical basis; logarithms and antilogarithms; exponentiation (with exactly known exponents); sines and cosines; and the extreme value rule. (YP)

The fourth of four quins intended to develop computational skills with non-negative rational numbers through applications to business and industry, this guidebook on minimum course content is designed for the student who has acquired basic computational skills with non-negative rational numbers. Topics include ratio, proportion, and percentage…