Budget creates havoc at Lowell - The Lowell
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October 12;I993M TECHNOLOGY <strong>The</strong>LowelL<br />

Graphing calcul<strong>at</strong>ors<br />

plot out the future<br />

of learning m<strong>at</strong>h<br />

By Robert Chen<br />

Students and<br />

leachcis h.ive<br />

found a new «Iucitionnl<br />

tool for<br />

b<strong>at</strong>tling m<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics<br />

illiteracy:<br />

the symbolic graphing calcul<strong>at</strong>or.<br />

"<strong>The</strong> Idlest iiK* JeK are ver/ powerful<br />

minhincs," s,iid Vv. Newmai:<br />

Fisher, ch.iirm.in of the department<br />

ofin.ithcin<strong>at</strong>ks,itS.inFr.mciscoS(;itc<br />

University." Iliey can do .1 lot c if work<br />

lus."<br />

Symbolic gt aphiinicAiiUin- son<br />

M>lvrciHialt»ns,f;ictor, simplify algebraic<br />

•x]ualions,and^raph(uiict>nris<br />

in i"v.t> and even three dimensions.<br />

Texas insirumeim'TI-JO, for example,<br />

has a Clnmcboy size id'<br />

graphics display ;inii simple programming<br />

language. Its graphing<br />

functions allow the user to /mini i.'i<br />

on .1 certain pan of the graph ami<br />

approxnutc x and y intercepts. <strong>The</strong><br />

TI-85 can also exchange d<strong>at</strong>:i with the<br />

Apple Macintosh or IBM I'C IOIIIp<strong>at</strong>iblcs.<br />

Hewlett Packard's Ml' 48C.X<br />

"aupacalvul<strong>at</strong>or" is even nicrc 2c!<br />

vanccrf. With 32 kilobytes (KB) of<br />

RAM. the usrr can customize the calculdtorwiih<br />

up to 256 Kliof plug-in<br />

applic<strong>at</strong>ion cartis. This civibli's thi*<br />

user to program formulas and equ<strong>at</strong>ions<br />

taking: up Ui 7.88.000 kev steps.<br />

Its infrared port also allows it to interface<br />

with HP'sinfrarcil prinierand<br />

other HP 4BGX units to exchange<br />

programs.<br />

Wrighinn only eight ounces each,<br />

the HP 48GX and TI-85 are tlie ultim<strong>at</strong>e<br />

in compact computing power.<br />

"<strong>The</strong> nice thing about (graphing calcul<strong>at</strong>ors]<br />

is tli<strong>at</strong> they arc portable,"<br />

Fisher uid.<br />

Nut with the advent of the symtalic<br />

graphmp calcul<strong>at</strong>or am! its uii!t.*<br />

availability tohigh schiKil and college<br />

students comes the question of the<br />

appropri<strong>at</strong>e!Kssofusii-g the machine<br />

in llie classroom ar. an educ<strong>at</strong>ional<br />

too!.<br />

<strong>The</strong> innw concern t"» (h<strong>at</strong> students<br />

may forget imlhenuli.:.-) ,.ona*pis<br />

since they may rely too much on ihc<br />

ilcvitY. Such fairs twin unfounded<br />

btciUitr studeius nwd to have .in tin<br />

d*.TMandiny of the basic cornqM^riist<br />

b»:lore they r.in apply llu-m to tru'eal -<br />

ttiLilur,<br />

"<strong>The</strong> n*iin use toe the graphing<br />

calcul<strong>at</strong>or 'i tn •aipplen'riit tin- m.v<br />

terial j the studvn! | is trying in learn."<br />

FisliiTs.nd.""n-,fgt .tpding cilcul<strong>at</strong>or<br />

i% otiltM vehicle ti.> carry out an assi^n-<br />

1nent.<strong>The</strong>ide.1s in in.ilhern.Hics have<br />

to \v: learned regardless of u!u ihcr<br />

I the 5( udent) lua a o>k ul,itt*r or not ."<br />

[11 addition, graphing (.alculaiors<br />

iil'ow the u.M.*rs to Itv.vv th? coniplir.ited.<br />

tirn-'-consiiming cakulalinns<br />

to the 111.11 iiine. StutU'iiis and ie.icherscannou<br />

iticuvon tdt\i.« ,ind str<strong>at</strong>egies<br />

inst'Md.<br />

"Graphing c.ilciil.iNns wilt en-<br />

InuKr thr students' Ic.nnirij: t>a.iii%t-<br />

.1 variety of prf-bleins can In; solved<br />

with the graphing ciltulal^r th.it a>e<br />

very JiiTuiill Hula without thcuwul"<br />

technology." ! : isher s.iid. "I think<br />

gnphingvalailaiprs willi-.ivf tin- .tutL-ni<br />

:r.c:i* inHgh 1 ?nv* ^- -;-vi» -f<br />

m:iihcm<strong>at</strong>ic*.."<br />

Clraphing CJICULUOIS c.,n make<br />

tn<strong>at</strong>hcmalics fun ami can give stutli-nis<br />

i'\»:e!ient UM;-.IJIIJ; xpenn!- es.<br />

'I think th;' gr.iplnng t.ikul<strong>at</strong>or<br />

nialcn Ici'tiinjt 111.1lhen1<strong>at</strong>ic.il concepts<br />

a Inl ea-iier for students," liiwell<br />

cakult)> student Hilly Wong said." f*or<br />

me, i''s the perfect visual aid."<br />

Syn'bi'litgrjjliiiigcalvulalorsare<br />

becoming ah intcpal pan of the classroom<br />

environment Cjkuius and<br />

phvMcs textlntoks now incuulc prnlilein<br />

set> tisintr grapliinf; calcul<strong>at</strong>ors.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re is no Joubt \\\\ they have<br />

dunged ihc K.iy mail;e-mail^ is approach<br />

;d, and with an unu^tstanding<br />

of tin- tonccpts nf m.itlicin.itK-.<br />

and their applic<strong>at</strong>ion, st'idems -uul<br />

teachers can trap the- full bem-fits of<br />

graphing calcul itorb-<br />

l : etry <strong>at</strong> <strong>Lowell</strong>.- Costing about S7Otn sing'-e quantrties, it<br />

i graphs multiple functions with ease and can compite m<strong>at</strong>rices^'- " ,,. .,<br />

Bikes roll into the muddy future<br />

I<br />

By Jon<strong>at</strong>h-in Mo<br />

t yxm don't like n<strong>at</strong>ure, exercise,<br />

hcavj- Im-jihiiti'. le^s "1 Nteel,<br />

f.iMin^ ofl steep cliff*, and a<br />

bruiwd behind, mountain biking<br />

isn't t!it* s]*i>rl Ittr y«>ti.<br />

Il,.t if „.,,,(.> ...inlKf niiltion-; it*'<br />

ju^ple who :>re dewtcd to America's<br />

Mittest and t,iste*.t growing rtcrt<strong>at</strong> and IJ>*.<br />

ro.ul bikes. Thiotigh the yrars, mountain<br />

bikes have evolved into -i new<br />

breed of bicycltfN.computerdoiyiii*d<br />

and engineered for extreme physical<br />

abuse while maintaining ni.iximum<br />

tomfort .ind ihc !i;.'lit-".t "-•.-.•kin.<br />

"Tlu* bigitit ihiingt's I vc wtn are<br />

thai the components ha\e gotten<br />

gooj. Ske index shifting (the gear<br />

dicks into place when shiftinjil and<br />

front and roar suspension system*.<br />

th<strong>at</strong> help .lhsorb shock," Mark, .111<br />

empi-iyetr a! the Marina Start To Finish<br />

bicycle shop, >uid."Mountain Hike<br />

salts lid-,-; vKTlllitcI-. vhu! up Hi llie<br />

past few year.C<br />

Muuntain bikes have taken f.jlJ<br />

.idvanta*:e of modern U'rhtHiJ.-iiiy<br />

witli their uv ft" spja- Me m<strong>at</strong>criaK<br />

I'bpul.v high performanc e frames ore<br />

made of tiunium, carbon fiber,<br />

Boraiyii, and .'duminuni because o!<br />

their Miffm-is, light wvigrit. Mrvngih,<br />

anJ shock-»bsoil>mj; quaiiues. I'ut<br />

they can be very expensive A Nuke<br />

<strong>The</strong> Nuke Proof 3.3 pound titanium frame: $1,500.<br />

I'n.of 3..* pound Titanium fraiiu*<br />

without fork retails .it $1,500. More<br />

re,w tiialily priced complete bikes artmade<br />

of a type of steel collet! Chio-<br />

Ttw-ly .tnd start <strong>at</strong> >2'Hi.<br />

You nu> tuve seen funny looking<br />

bii.tk-. •.••iili lliinp th<strong>at</strong> look like<br />

mnimcyclc jhotks. borrowim; Irom<br />

htuiorcycle technology, engineers<br />

have developed lightweight and durable<br />

frmit and rear suspension systrm-i<br />

lh»»i tion't bounce up and ilown<br />

lik- >piings K- keep tiie tirev on the<br />

ground JTic te.isori for adding it suspension<br />

fork guts far twyond. comfitrt.<br />

Wiih bctUT stability, y_-u can<br />

move fjMcr and react ^tiickiT without<br />

losing control. TKii's why;;!! tin 1<br />

tup profewioi'.iU usfelastoniir or air/<br />

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