Rolle's Theorem on Scientific American

Good to see the little remembered Rolle's Theorem in Scientific American. A Proof of the Math Fact of Rolle in Short Words. Yes, if you have taken calculus, you have seen it.

The title suggests a short quick proof, oh the challenge is using just in one-syllable words. It still can be longer and more complex than it should be in one syllable words?

Now the Rolle's Theorem actually says something SIMPLE. See this picture again.

Look, in x-axis. mark two positions a and b. Then draw a line from a to b (without going backward or lifting your pen, or you mess the meaning of a function or mess with the requirement being continuous). To land on b, you must have a point c where you are at the highest point or the lowest point, that's when derivative = 0. Or you can do a flat line in which everywhere derivative = 0, in which everywhere is a c.

Ok, what I just mentioned is informal. The language of math requires more formal. Don't like it? Well going to a formal party requires a tuxedo too.

This one is easy to visualize. Why bother make a theorem for this? Because we need to name it as a step to prove something not as obvious.

What's the big deal of Rolle's Theorem you say? It is "a special case" or it can be extended to become the "Mean Value Theorem".. which is a crucial step needed for the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.

Oh and such British accent to say naught. Isn't that supposed to come from Scientific American?

Can Barbie do Computer Engineering

The book titled Barbie: I Can Be a Computer Engineer is saying the opposite. Oh she is inept and needs his (male) friends' help in the game.

Ok, just what's wrong with having an idea and have someone else turn to a real game? Sometimes it is the idea that counts. People liked Pac Man and Tetris for its game play not the nuts and bolts of its code, right? Many inept people get paid more telling people what to do than people who actually know how to make things happen. Is Barbie better off telling Steven and Brian to do something rather than get hand dirty?

Now some ladies are going to be fired up because girls are portrayed as weaklings who can't code. Certainly not true.

People writing Barbie books ought to know better?

Now, what will people think if she needs help from her female friends? um, let's say Anne and Jane?

Now, about "computer engineering"... Is it programming little game involving puppy doing little tricks? To me it has something to do with things like circuits, logic gates, adder, multiplexer things and much more. How many jobs opening on that do you see on these low level things? almost none. How many jobs to do little database programs, little websites? much more.

People writing Barbie books ought to know better.

cos b

I chuckled at this (old) math joke:

You don't get it? tan b, what is it? sin b / cos b of course. You're dividing a quotient... so to simplify, flip the denominator and multiply it! Dividing means multiply the reciprocal. Ah, so the sin b cancelled and you get... cos b (or Cosby).

Do not say this is some nerdy joke. There is nothing nerdy about this.

Ok, I am sure a lot of people out out there don't get it and then say they hate math and then say what's the use of it. Yes, no one asked me to find the sin or cos or tan of anything. But I am proud to know their (simple) relationships.

Yes, that's an old picture of Bill Cosby. Now he is back in the spotlight.. and there are rape allegations against him and this is not the first time. Oh my. He was the Cliff Huxtable that everybody liked. There may not be anymore DNA evidence and there will be smartie lawyers who say well why you waited that many years and all that.

However, there is an absolute answer of he did it or not. If this is true, how horrible. If this is false, how horrible to accuse. Both cases aren't so good outcome.