Questions tagged [applications]
For questions on the use of mathematics in science, industry and everyday life.
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Real-life problems involving solving triangles
Could you advise me where to find real- life or word problems using trigonometry, involving solving triangles, suitable for high-school students? Most of the problems i found were pseudo-real problems ...
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Earliest real-world uses of Calculus and Linear Algebra
I want to illustrate in class that real-world applications of mathematics might take time to come to fruit. In this context, I want to find what the earliest real-world applications of Calculus and ...
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Real-World Problems for Teaching Extrema and Derivative Tests in STEM Education
For educational purposes, I am seeking example problems in the realm of natural sciences, engineering, and business that satisfy the following criteria:
Consider a one-dimensional real function $f$ (...
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Applications of High School Geometry
Sometimes I struggle to give my students a sufficient number of reasons why they should study Geometry in high school, other than that it helps them think and increases their understanding of the ...
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Staircase method of small integer addition
I found the Math Games: Math for Kids to be excellent (if not extremely, excellent) at teaching elementary school math.
But it made me think of some tricks, that could be displayed when teaching at a ...
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Sourcing and verifying calculus applications
There are many questions on this site about specific (or not-so-specific) applications of calculus to the "real world". However, one issue I've noticed in using textbooks for this purpose ...
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Are there any fun toy applications of representation and character theory for finite groups to physics?
Representation theory has very deep ties with physics, leading to incredibly profound and admittedly cool results such as the classification of particles in the Standard Model via mass and spin by ...
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Applications for logarithms in a business math course
Context: I am an assistant professor at a small liberal arts institution in the US.
The title really says it all: I am looking to provide applications for logarithms in a business math course (most ...
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Favorite linear programming (not integer) examples?
I am wondering what examples you like to give when introducing linear programming, where the examples are not clearly better suited as integer linear programs. I would like a few examples where we can ...
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Real-world applications of taxicab metric
The taxicab metric can be used to measure distances in idealized gridded cities. However, usually this serves only as a fun exercise for students.
I'm looking for engaging (as non-technical as ...
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Is there a good Animation to explain Rotational Symmetry of Equilateral triangle
I am willing to teach that the Order of rotational Symmetry of Equilateral triangle as $3$ using Animation. Any suggestions of good applet which demonstrates the rotation of equilateral triangle with ...
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Do I really need to cover solids of revolution in my Calculus I class?
I will be teaching Calculus 1 soon, using Stewart's Calculus: Early Transcendentals as a reference. I can't help but recall my time in high school AP Calculus and my first semester undergraduate ...
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Which grade students should be able to solve applied economy / business / profit prediction exercises?
I've designed a few applied problems with business analytics/money calculations. However, I'm not sure which age (or rather, which grade) are those best to introduce.
on one hand, solution uses only +...
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Resources for mathematics for sustainability
I am looking for resources (books, websites, etc.) for mathematics relevant to or in the context of sustainability, broadly construed, at upper secondary or early undergraduate level - so not ...
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Response to Students Who Say "This Is Not Important"
Lately, my students keep telling me why what we are learning is not important. They ask me when will we use this in the real world?
I explain how math is important in gambling, cooking, finance, ...
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Showing applications of calculus to intro students
So I'm wrapping up my second year teaching high school calculus, and my first as an AP course. In addition to review, I'd like to end the year by giving the students a taste of the kinds of real-...
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Are there any applications of $x^x$?
I'm teaching Calculus I. It's time for the derivative of $x^x$. In previous semesters, I've told
students we mainly do this just for closure, so that we know that we can find derivatives of every ...
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Support modelling cycle through differentiated means
I plan to work with my students on solving real-world problems through modelling them. Now it is my idea to follow the modelling cycle below.
The idea is to find with the help of two values that have ...
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Examples of real-life vector fields for vector calculus
My two main ones are Electrostatic force field $\mathbf{E}\left(\mathbf{r}\right)=\frac{Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0 \left|\left|\mathbf{r}\right|\right|^3}\mathbf{r}$ and Gravitational force field, $\mathbf{F}\...
user13544
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Applications of abstract algebra outside of mathematics and suitable textbook
The question What are some good mathematical applications to present in an abstract algebra course? asks about mathematical applications of abstract algebra.
What are some applications of abstract ...
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What are some nice ways to incorporate Euler's Method or other numerical methods throughout calculus?
My calculus students diligently learn Newton's Method, the Trapezoidal Rule, Simpson's Rule, and Euler's Method throughout their calculus careers, but the topics always feel like strange digressions ...
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Examples of application problems of coordinate geometry in the complex plane?
I am currently writing some basic introductory texts to
complex numbers for third-year high school students (Denmark). My main goal is to introduce complex numbers as a practical tool that both ...
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A compelling example of what complex numbers are for, before teaching them [duplicate]
When talking to kids before they are taught complex numbers, I would really like to give some examples of why it will be exciting to learn them. I am comfortable explaining the intellectual ...
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Real World use of the Function $(\sin{x})^x$
Today in my calculus class we were going over L'Hopital's Rule and were dealing with limits of the following form
$$h(x)=f(x)^{g(x)}$$
Three examples we considered are as follows:
$(1)\; \...
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Practical Implication for Correlation (Lay individual vs Scholarly Group)
Can you please explain or provide resources that explain this issue (esp. to a lay audience):
How to understand the significance of a co-relation number that studies (esp. meta-analyses) produce. The ...
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Should college mathematics always be taught in such a way that real world applications are always included?
I am teaching Linear Algebra this semester with the textbook Introduction to Linear Algebra by Serge Lang and most (perhaps all?) my students are not majoring in mathematics. As I was carefully ...
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Books and worksheets on symmetry
At a local Math Circle, I loved some problems worked out through a hinged mirror to illustrate symmetry. I bought a hinged mirror from hand2mind.com, and am looking for some material, ideally books ...
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High School Math Course focused on Sports
I am an high school math teacher and want to develop a math course that is totally focused on sports. It would be a senior level course and would focus on the math and analytics of sports.
I just ...
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Applications of notable points and lines of a triangle
I am currently starting to teach math to highschool kids who don't do well on their own, and I'm teaching a guy about notable points and lines of a triangle (incenter, centroid, circumcenter, ...
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Application of perpendicular lines
Endeavoring to bring some flavor of "real world" application to each topic in my community college precalculus class, I find myself struggling to provide some non-geometric motivation for ...
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What are good solar eclipse questions/projects for students?
I'd like to hear some ideas for problems or projects related to this summer's solar eclipse, in particular for the high school or undergrad level (algebra through calculus).
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Greatest common divisor applications
What are some real-life applications of gcd? I am looking for a motivating way of introducing this topic in an elementary number theory course.
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Why do we teach complex numbers?
In algebra II, USA, we teach our students complex numbers. However, after algebra II, they never use complex numbers until pretty much complex analysis. The whole point of teaching them complex ...
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Should I teach Laplace Transforms? How much?
My question is in the title. Let me elaborate and give some context:
I'm teaching a first differential equations course, essentially for engineers, at the university. I'm developing the syllabus ...
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Solving linear systems - Applications
I was thinking today applications of $\textbf{Ax}=\textbf{b}$ where $\textbf{A}\in\mathbb{R}^{m \times n}$. Specifically, I am interested to know what applications one might give to students, who don'...
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Is the absence of complex analysis a significant disadvantage in math grad school application? [closed]
I am a junior math major considering math grad school, possibly in probability theory. Would the admission commitee of math grad schools view the absence of complex analysis as a significant ...
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Modeling vs. Application vs. Context
Our undergraduate mathematics program has recently seen a large drop-off in majors (suspected reason: our growing (but separate) undergraduate statistics program is seen as being a more employable ...
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Are there more modern or computation oriented applications of complex analysis in science and engineering?
No doubt that complex analysis is a tremendously useful with plenty of applications in engineering and physics.
Common raw applications of complex analysis includes:
evaluation of ordinary and ...
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Sources for mathematics outside the mathematics world
In this question I would like to ask you about material showing the uses (or occurrences) of mathematics in the everyday world. The aim is to encourage with it a group of young undergraduate ...
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Galois Theory: necessary?
I noticed the discussion of whether the teaching of Galois Theory is necessary on MathOverflow. Here at LSE, everything we teach in mathematics should have some application to the social side of life.
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Robert Simon
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"Greatest hits" of applications of freshman calculus to economics?
The title pretty much explains the question. I've never taken a course in economics, so it's hard for me to judge what are the most important applications, the most interesting ones, or the ones that ...
user507
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Symmetry - practical uses
My girlfriend is studying to become a math teacher, and asked me what I have ever used symmetries for.
I'm a web developer, and do some designing from time to time, so I answered that symmetry have ...
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An application-heavy functional analysis textbook?
I took functional analysis from Conway's book. I thought it was just as abstract and dry as homological algebra, if not more. I knew of no applications.
Then I learned that standing waves on a drum ...
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