Math Is Fun Forum

  Discussion about math, puzzles, games and fun.   Useful symbols: ÷ × ½ √ ∞ ≠ ≤ ≥ ≈ ⇒ ± ∈ Δ θ ∴ ∑ ∫ • π ƒ -¹ ² ³ °

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#1 2005-07-18 20:58:18

justlookingforthemoment
Moderator
Registered: 2005-05-26
Posts: 2,161

Math Is Fun

This always bugs me when I see it at the top of the forum and in my browser title bar...Math Is Fun!

Which one is it? Math or maths?

Or is it meant to be like that? smile

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#2 2005-07-18 21:41:34

MathsIsFun
Administrator
Registered: 2005-01-21
Posts: 7,711

Re: Math Is Fun

US vs UK spelling. It's that simple. So I have no option but to use both and hope people don't mind too much smile

It's funny that you are asking me "Why Math?", but I have also been asked "Why Maths?" by US Teachers (I had one suggest Maths ARE Fun would be more correct)

Perhaps some one would like to research the reasons behind the spelling differences. Make a good English project.

And another good project would be to look at the future of spelling on the Internet - will we all be using US standards in a few decades?


"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

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#3 2005-07-18 22:00:17

Jai Ganesh
Administrator
Registered: 2005-06-28
Posts: 45,839

Re: Math Is Fun

Reminded me of an old joke:-

The European Union commissioners have announced that agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred language for European communications, rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a five-year phased plan for what will be known as EuroEnglish (Euro for short).

In the first year, 's' will be used instead of the soft 'c'. Sertainly, sivil servants will resieve this news with joy. Also, the hard 'c' will be replaced with 'k.' Not only will this klear up konfusion, but typewriters kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome 'ph' will be replaced by 'f'. This will make words like 'fotograf' 20 per sent shorter.

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of silent 'e's in the languag is disgrasful, and they would go.

By the fourth year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing 'th' by 'z' and 'w' by 'v'.

During ze fifz year, ze unesesary 'o' kan be dropd from vords kontaining 'ou', and similar changes vud of kors; be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters.

After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil b no mor trubls or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech ozer. Ze drem vil finali kum tru. smile


It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.

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#4 2005-07-18 22:26:09

MathsIsFun
Administrator
Registered: 2005-01-21
Posts: 7,711

Re: Math Is Fun

Absolut wundervol !


"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

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#5 2005-07-20 23:49:21

MathsIsFun
Administrator
Registered: 2005-01-21
Posts: 7,711

Re: Math Is Fun

Just for amusement: 

http://googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=math&word2=maths


"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

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#6 2005-07-21 05:36:42

mathsyperson
Moderator
Registered: 2005-06-22
Posts: 4,900

Re: Math Is Fun

Warning: The wrong one won.
(Try saying that ten times fast!)


Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.

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#7 2005-07-22 00:06:16

Jai Ganesh
Administrator
Registered: 2005-06-28
Posts: 45,839

Re: Math Is Fun

Yes, sometimes the better team loses sad


It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.

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#8 2005-07-31 00:25:05

Roraborealis
Member
Registered: 2005-03-17
Posts: 1,594

Re: Math Is Fun

See what this proves!


School is practice for the future. Practice makes perfect. But - nobody's perfect, so why practice?

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#9 2005-07-31 00:36:44

mathsyperson
Moderator
Registered: 2005-06-22
Posts: 4,900

Re: Math Is Fun

Hee, hee. Let me try: FIGHT!
...oh buckets.


Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.

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