Algebra+II+Research+Topics


 * May 13-17, 2013 **

Go to the following website and answer the questions using complete sentences. [|http://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/e-eulers-number.html] Read the full article! A. Another name for "e" is? B. Write "e" to fifteen decimal places. C. What is the "curious" pattern that can be used to remember the value of "e?" D. Other than irrational, "e" is also what type of number? Go to the following website: [|http://www.sosmath.com/algebra/logs/log1/log1.html] Read the article up to "Short cuts." Answer the following questions. 1. What is a logarithm? (one word) 2. What two mathematicians independently invented logarithms? 3. What two fields are logarithms used in? 4. What two mathematicians are responsible for defining logarithms as exponents and in what century? [|http://www.yourdictionary.com/who-created-the-quadratic-formula.html] What device did the Chinese use that helped them to calculate faster than anyone else? Who began the process of creating the quadratic formula? Who derived the precursor to what is know as the quadratic formula? What Indian mathematician also helped derive the formula? What type of roots did the two mathematics above not allow? Who derived the quadratic formula we use today? How many years did it take to finally derive the quadratic formula we use today?
 * LAST ONE! **
 * May 6-10, 2013 **
 * No research this week! **
 * April 29 - May 3, 2013 **
 * Answer the following questions using complete sentences and the information in the website below. **



Go to the following website and read all of the sections. [|http://www.ehow.com/info_8087231_origin-exponents-math.html] Answer the following questions using complete sentences. Who was the ancient Greek mathematician that first used a word for "power" in reference to the square of a number? What was the name of the work? (Did you know that this work was //the// textbook that was used by students to study geometry for 100s of years?) Was he actually referring to a physical square? The term "exponent" comes from some Latin root words that have what meaning? What mathematician was the first to use superscripts to display exponents and was also the first to use negative exponents? And lastly, what about those fractional exponents? What great mathematician and scientist was the first to use the notation for fractional exponents that we use today? Go to the following website: [|http://www.mathsisfun.com/surds.html] Answer the following questions **using complete sentences!** What is a surd? What is an example of a surd? Back in the day, the word "surd" was used for what type of number? Where did the word "surd" originate from?
 * April 22-26, 2013 **
 * April 15-19, 2013 **
 * March 25-28, 2013 **
 * SPRING BREAK...NO RESEARCH **
 * ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY!!! **

Go the the following website: [|http://math.youngzones.org/Konigsberg.html] Read the article about the Konigsberg bridge problem. Write a paragraph (at least 3 sentences) explaining the problem and the solution. In your paragraph be sure to name the mathematician who solved the problem and state what branches of mathematics developed because of this mathematician's work.

Go to the following website: [|http://primes.utm.edu/glossary/xpage/FermatsLastTheorem.html] Read the article. Write Fermat's Last Theorem in either form given. In what year did Fermat write his theorem? Who finally proved Fermat's Last Theorem and in what year? You should use complete sentences to answer the questions, even when stating Fermat's Last Theorem. Now go to the website below, read the page and work the "Your Turn Problems." []
 * March 11-15, 2013 **
 * Exam Week **
 * No Research! **
 * March 4-8, 2013 **



Go to the following website: [|http://ptri1.tripod.com/] Read the full article on Pascal's Triangle and write a paragraph on at least three of the patterns found in Pascal's Triangle. Use complete sentences in your paragraph.
 * February 25, 2013 **



February 18-22, 2013 Go to the following website: [] Read about the applications of parabolas and write at least two paragraphs about those applications. February 11-15, 2013 No research this week! Hope you had a great Mardi Gras! Go to the following website: http://cuip.uchicago.edu/~dlnarain/golden/ Read the article on this page and then click on Activities in the navigation column. Read activity #7. Write a paragraph about the Golden Ratio and its relationship to the Fibonnaci Sequence. Include examples of where the Fibbonaci sequence can be found in nature in your paragraph. Go to the following website: http://home.windstream.net/okrebs/page136.html A. Write the symbol for sigma notation. B. What is the symbol used for? C. The value after the sigma symbol is called the ? D. The numbers above and below the sigma symbol are called the? E. The letter below the sigma symbol is called the ? F. Write the two properties of infinite series. G. Work the first four sample problems and check your work. Go to the following website: [|http://cs.nyu.edu/overton/g22_lp/encyc/article_web.html] Read the section on the history of Linear programming. Write a short paragraph (at least 3 sentences) about what you read. Include the following in your paragraph: the people who developed the idea and the applications of linear programming. ............................................................................................................................................................................................ Go to the following website and read the article about Rene Descartes and Leonard Euler. [|http://nrich.maths.org/2570] Write one paragraph about Decartes and one paragraph about Euler. Each paragraph should contain at least three sentences! ............................................................................................................................................................................................
 * February 4-8, 2013**
 * Due Friday, February 8**
 * AND**
 * January 28-February 1, 2013**
 * Due Friday February 1**
 * Due Friday February 1**
 * January 21-25, 2013**
 * Due Friday January 25**
 * Due Friday, January 18 **
 * Go to the following website:**

[|http://www.storyofmathematics.com/islamic_alkhwarizmi.html] Read the entire article and create an acrostic poem using his name, "Al-Khwarizmi" and the information in the article. To create the acrostic you would write sentences with words that begin with the letters in the name "Al-Khwarizmi." The sentences should have information about Al-Kwarizmi.

Here is an example using the name " **Euclid** ."


 * E** uclid was a Greek mathematician.
 * U** sing the works of other geometers and his own, he wrote a book called __The Elements__.
 * C** learly, he accomplished a tremendous feat since he lived in the 3rd century B.C.
 * L** isting postulates and theorems was his aim.
 * I** ntersecting planes and lines were his thing.
 * D** ude was really into geometry!
 * (Remember to write your research on the same paper as ACT/Problems of the Day.) **

............................................................................................................................................................................................ **Due Friday, January 11** Google the **origins** of the __**word**__ “ **algebra”** and write a paragraph about the **origin** of the __**word**__ //**"**// **algebra** //**."**// Your paragraph should be at least three sentence long with proper punctuation and grammar. If you cannot write legibly, please type your response.
 * January 7-11, 2013**
 * (Remember to write your research on the same paper as ACT/Problems of the Day.) **

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Asnwer the questions using complete sentences. Go to the following website and read the full article. [|http://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/imaginary-numbers.html] How are imaginary numbers used when dealing with electricity? Go to the following website and read the article. [|http://www.math.toronto.edu/mathnet/questionCorner/complexorigin.html] Who is credited with the first reference to complex numbers and when? Who is responsible for the use of the letter "i" when referring to the square root of -1 and when? ........................................................................................................................................................................................... .......................................................................................................................................................................................... [|http://www.hiddendimension.com/FractalMath/Mathematics_Main.html] Who is the father of fractals? Why are these shapes called fractals? Where can fractals be seen in the world of nature? Now go to this website: [|http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/fractal-generator.html] Under **//Design a Fractal,//** click on "Launch Interactive, where you will see the Mandelbrot Set. Click on the "Change Color' button. .......................................................................................................................................................................................... [|http://cuip.uchicago.edu/~dlnarain/golden/] Read the article on this page and then click on Activities in the navigation column. Read activity #8. Write a paragraph about the Golden Ratio and its relationship to the Fibonnaci Sequence. Include examples of where the Fibbonaci sequence can be found in nature in your paragraph. .......................................................................................................................................................................................
 * AND**
 * No research this week!**
 * Happy Thanksgiving **
 * Go to the following website and answer the questions below using complete sentences.**
 * Go to the following website:**

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............................................................................................................................................................................................ [|http://www.geom.uiuc.edu/~zarembe/hist4.html] Write a coherent paragraph to respond to these questions. What is the Four-Color Theorem? Who proposed it first.? Who finally proved the theorem? When and how did they prove the theorem? Color the map you received in class on Monday using the Four-Color Theorem. **YOU MAY WRITE YOUR PARAGRAPH ON THE BACK OF YOUR MAP!!!**
 * Go to the following website and read the article.**

............................................................................................................................................................................................. Go to the following website: [|http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Pi.html]and look for "Archimedes constant." Read the article and answer these questions using conplete sentences. A. What is the Archimedes Constant? B. What is another name given for this constant? C. What is the definition of this constant? D. Other than Real, what other types of number is this constant? ............................................................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................................................................. Go to the following website and read the article up to "Logarithm Arithmetic is not Natural." [|http://betterexplained.com/articles/demystifying-the-natural-logarithm-ln/] What does the article say "e" is about and what does it say the natural log is about? ...........................................................................................................................................................................................

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