Recipe of the day: DIYSwede's microbrewed ISO 68-ish Way Oil

[DIYSwede]

It might help if I generalize the equation and show how to solve it.

-Thanks again, Marv - It surely helps me in "kicking the habit":
Repeatedly relapsing into spreadsheet abuse as a mental or mathematical crutch.
"My veering off the calculus path started almost 30 years ago, and when I first tried a Texas TI-68 I was hooked."

Kind regards
Johan

[mklotz]

Yes, math is very much a "use it or lose it" skill. This is especially true with algebra, the most fundamental math skill after arithmetic.

If you encounter a derivation or solution to an equation as above, don't simply ignore it because you think your poor math skills will make it unintelligible to you. Try to follow it as best you can and puzzle out what is happening. Do that often enough and you'll soon understand how to solve simple equations.

Of course, the real skill is being able to construct an equation that captures what you know and what is unknown so that you have something to solve. That takes more time but, again, if you start with simple problems and cogitate over other people's equations, understanding will come.

The key here is not to ignore what you don't understand, be it math or some other discipline. Most of our post-school learning comes from real world examples; ignoring them is a waste of resources.

[Scotsman Hosie]

I was trying to make a humorous reference to your exceptionally proficient math skills. My own tend to be limited to those I've used in problem solving, over the years. (I've worked the hell out of ratios.) Biggest confusion comes with my inability to recognize undefined terms, in an equation. Regardless, you rock (and I barely roll).

[DIYSwede]

The key here is not to ignore what you don't understand, be it math or some other discipline. Most of our post-school learning comes from real world examples; ignoring them is a waste of resources.

-Amen to that, Marv.
Perhaps I hid my light a little too much? As an example of what you state, I feel privileged in that my workdays pretty often challenges my knowledge, insight and experience bases - demanding me to expand those. I call this the "hard fun" of learning - as for me: easy conquests aren't really that rewarding as the hard ones.

As to math: When setting up an equation - I usually do a quick idiot check substituting the variable's values with their units, and thus check that the result unit is the unknown's. I use calculators and spreadsheets merely for the tedious number-crunching - the hard fun I'll hopefully always keep to myself -'til stroke or old age hits.
But then - I'm just a compulsively curious and easily entertained DIY cheapskate. That's why I'm here at HMT - learning a lot and share my bit.

R W Emerson: "Every man has his own vocation, talent is his call." (My humble add-on): "...and the Dunning-Kruger Effect hits us all."

[Frank S]

Yes, math is very much a "use it or lose it" skill. This is especially true with algebra, the most fundamental math skill after arithmetic.

If you encounter a derivation or solution to an equation as above, don't simply ignore it because you think your poor math skills will make it unintelligible to you. Try to follow it as best you can and puzzle out what is happening. Do that often enough and you'll soon understand how to solve simple equations.

Of course, the real skill is being able to construct an equation that captures what you know and what is unknown so that you have something to solve. That takes more time but, again, if you start with simple problems and cogitate over other people's equations, understanding will come.

The key here is not to ignore what you don't understand, be it math or some other discipline. Most of our post-school learning comes from real world examples; ignoring them is a waste of resources.

truer words were never spoken.