AisforAlgebra-ideasaboutmythologyandGreekGods.docVIP

A is for Algebra: Algebra is the branch of mathematics that works with mathematical statements. These statements are usually formulas using symbols like = to connect the parts. When mathematicians see the = symbol, they know that what is on the right side should equal what ever is on the left. Letters are used to stand for unknown quantities and numbers are used for knowns. A big part of algebra is just learning what the symbols mean and learning how to follow the rules for using the symbols. For example, the symbols ( and ) enclose something that must be done on the numbers within the symbols before what is within the parentheses can be used in whatever mathematics is taking place outside the parentheses. There are rules, laws that must be used to properly apply an algebraic system. One law states that the order in which we add or multiply to numbers may be interchanged. Another law states that if more than two numbers have to be added or to be multiplied, it does not matter which two of the numbers we add or multiply first. These laws are called the “commutative” and “associative” laws. The distributive law states: instead of multiplying two numbers by a common factor and adding the products, we may first add the two numbers and then multiply their sum by the factor. This results in a formula like the following ab + ac = a(b+c). B is for Boolean Algebra: Boolean algebra is the algebra of logic. It deals with sets, individuals, and propositions. A set is a collection of things. Something that belongs to a set is called a “member” of the set. Sets are denoted by capital letters and the members of a set are collected together within braces. When we state A=B, it means the set A has the same members as the set B. Special symbols have been created for various logical situations such as the union of sets, the intersection of sets, when an individual is a member of a set, and for logical relationships. Special symbols are used for negation and implication.