Section 1.3 and Appendix D Due April 29

1. It was difficult for me to understand Appendix D when it was talking about Rings and Groups because we haven't learned that yet. I felt very confident in Math 290 proving equivalence relations, but I was never really good at understanding equivalence classes, and understanding how to show that two are equal, or anything like that. The proof about the uniqueness of a prime factorization in 1.3 was also a little hard to follow. 
2. I would be very interested to see how these things apply to the real world. I know that there are interesting things that have to do with prime numbers in the Fibonacci sequence. Modular arithmetic I know is used in computer programing, like with Z_2 binary code. It's very cool how we can send and receive messages with the use of very large prime numbers and public and private keys.

Sections 1.1-1.2 Due April 28

1. The most difficult part of reading this section was following the proofs. I understand that they arrive at the correct result, but it's difficult for me to see where the ideas are coming from, and how one would know where to start and what equations/symbols/substitution etc. one needs to use in order to eventually arrive at a correct result and a complete proof. I suppose it comes with practice.
2. I actually am familiar with all of the material in these sections thanks to my Math 290 class. One of my favorite things in that class was the Euclidean Algorithm. I think it is the coolest thing because I've always had to write out the divisors of both, and find the greatest one they have in common. I wish they would teach this in high school or even jr. high because it makes finding the gcd so much simpler. It also is very similar to when we are trying to change the base of a number, which can help if we are using some other form of number system. That's something we learned in my history of math class.

Introduction Due April 28

• I am a sophomore majoring in Mathematics Education.
• I have taken Math 290, 300, and 313. 
• I am taking this class because it is required for my major. 
• Dr. McKay here at BYU was my Calculus II professor and he was the most effective because he was great at explaining things. He not only taught us the computational procedures, but where they can from and why they work. Even with doing that he still made everything seem simple. Dr. Chahal for Math 313 was the least effective because his lectures had no relation to the homework he assigned, so our classmates had to get together often out of class and just try to figure out what the questions were asking. Also, the book he wrote for us to use was very confusing.
• I was Taylorsville's Jr. Miss 2009, which is like a scholarship program/pageant type thing that I won for my city. 
• I can come to the Thursday office hour, and maybe the MW afternoon as well.