I was reading through the Manhattan GMAT tutorial on "Fast Math" thinking, "Wouldn't it be even faster to do that on a calculator?" when it came to me: it sounds like they don't allow calculators on the GMAT.
If you need to rely on your calculator for the math on the GMAT, you probably aren't business school material. I'd make the same argument for why calculators should not be allowed on the SAT but that battle was lost 15 years ago...
From here, a not uncommon sentiment (bolding mine):
Dave Rusin - 27 Aug 2005 01:21 GMT
>Another thing Id like is a full blown emulator for both HP and TI calculators. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >Then.. when I get some money I buy the real calculator
Isn't that like asking for a calculator plug-in to emulate an abacus? If you've got a PC, why don't you use IT instead of that tiny calculator? You can get much better-looking displays with your computer, the keypad is much more comfortable, and the processing power is even greater.
Not that any of that is really important, though -- mathematics is a language; you can, and arguably should, learn languages without a single electronic gizmo. You'll have many people telling you how important a calculator is for your college math classes, but interestingly there are not many mathematicians among them.
dave
(Professor Rusin is in the math department at Northern Illinois University.)
Once again, I am amazed by the disconnect between constructivist math and the real world.
ReplyDeleteIf you need to rely on your calculator for the math on the GMAT, you probably aren't business school material. I'd make the same argument for why calculators should not be allowed on the SAT but that battle was lost 15 years ago...
ReplyDeleteFrom here, a not uncommon sentiment (bolding mine):
ReplyDeleteDave Rusin - 27 Aug 2005 01:21 GMT
>Another thing Id like is a full blown emulator for both HP and TI calculators.
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
>Then.. when I get some money I buy the real calculator
Isn't that like asking for a calculator plug-in to emulate an abacus? If you've got a PC, why don't you use IT instead of that tiny calculator? You can get much better-looking displays with your computer, the keypad is much more comfortable, and the processing power is even greater.
Not that any of that is really important, though -- mathematics is a language; you can, and arguably should, learn languages without a single electronic gizmo. You'll have many people telling you how important a calculator is for your college math classes, but interestingly there are not many mathematicians among them.
dave
(Professor Rusin is in the math department at Northern Illinois University.)
music to my ears. Terror in the hearts of todays students.
ReplyDelete