20 Mar
2020
20 Mar
'20
4:40 p.m.
Aside: I'm sending this reply to TUHS where the message that I'm
replying to came from. But i suspect that it should migrate to COFF,
which I'm CCing.
On 3/20/20 5:48 AM, paul(a)guertin.net wrote:
I teach math in college, and I use an RPN calculator
as well (it's
just easier).
Would you please elaborate on "it's just easier"?
I'm asking from a point of genuine curiosity. I've heard many say that
RPN is easier, or that it takes fewer keys, or otherwise superior to
infix notation. But many of the conversations end up somewhat devolving
into religious like comments about preferences, despite starting with
honest open-minded intentions. (I hope this one doesn't similarly devolve.)
I've heard that there are fewer keys to press for RPN, but the example
equations presented have been effectively he same.
I've heard that RPN is mentally easier. But I apparently don't know
enough RPN to be able to think in RPN natively to evaluate myself.
I dabble with RPN, including keeping my main calculator app on my smart
phone in RPN mode.
So I am genuinely interested in understanding why you say that RPN is
just easier.
Sometimes, during an exam, a student who forgot to
bring their
calculator will ask if they can borrow mine. I always say "sure, but
you'll regret it" and hand them the calculator. After wasting one or
two minutes, they give it back.
~chuckle~
(Note that I always make sure no calculator is needed
for my exams,
but it's department policy to authorise non programmable calculators,
and it seems to reassure students to have the calculator on the desk,
so I don't mind.) >
ACK
--
Grant. . . .
unix || die