Help for your child – MS Mathematics 4.0

Published on January 14, 2011 By DrJBHL In Personal Computing

Does your child need help with math? Could he/she improve skills needed for a great future?

I know I wish I had stuff like this when I was a kid!

Microsoft Mathematics (formerly Microsoft Math) is an educational program, designed for Microsoft Windows , that allows users to solve math and science problems. Developed and maintained by Microsoft, it is primarily targeted for students as a learning tool.

A related freeware add-in for Microsoft Word and Microsoft OneNote, called Microsoft Mathematics Add-In for Word and OneNote, is also available from Microsoft that offers comparable functionality.

Microsoft Math has received 2008 Award of Excellence from Tech & Learning Magazine.

Features

Microsoft Math contains features that are designed to assist in solving math, science, and tech-related problems, as well as to educate the user. The application features such tools as a graphing calculator and a unit converter . It also includes a triangle solver, and an equation solver that provides step-by-step solutions to each problem, a feature beneficial to students attempting to learn problem-solving skills.

The standalone version of Microsoft Math 3.0 also has support for calculus and Ink Handwriting, allowing the user to write out problems by hand and have them recognized by Microsoft Math.

This grapher is also suited to multivariable calculus. For example, the parametric mode of the grapher allows student to graph 3D vector functions .

Microsoft Mathematics provides a set of mathematical tools that help students get school work done quickly and easily. With Microsoft Mathematics, students can learn to solve equations step-by-step while gaining a better understanding of fundamental concepts in pre-algebra, algebra, trigonometry, physics, chemistry, and calculus.

From basic math to pre-calculus, Microsoft Mathematics includes features which makes it easy to create graphs in 2D and 3D, calculate numerical results, solve equations or inequalities, and simplify algebraic expressions.

Microsoft Mathematics also includes a full-featured graphing calculator that’s designed to work just like a handheld calculator. Additional math tools help you evaluate triangles, convert from one system of units to another, and solve systems of equations.

The new Version 4 is now available for free!

Known Issues:

Original show and plot functions have changed to show2d and plot2d In Microsoft Math 3.0, the show and plot functions were used to plot 2D graphs. In this version of the program, you must specify show2d and plot2d instead. If you open a worksheet file from a previous version of the product, any expressions that use show or plot will need to be updated.
Unable to type or edit expression in worksheet input pane after pressing the left arrow key or the backspace key repeatedly You can use the backspace key or the left arrow key to move left so you can edit an expression in the worksheet input pane. However, if you press these keys repeatedly, the input pane may stop accepting input in some cases. To fix this, press the right arrow key once, and then you can type again.
Changing the color scheme causes problems with high contrast displays If your computer display is set to High Contrast mode, some areas of the workspace may become unreadable when you change color schemes in Microsoft Mathematics. To fix this problem, turn High Contrast off and then turn it back on again.
Screen reader does not read inline error messages In many cases, Microsoft Mathematics displays inline error messages to explain syntax errors or to describe a problem. To give screen readers access to this information, you can change your options to show these messages as popup dialogs instead. On the File tab, click Options, and then click Display inline error messages as popup messages.
The appearance of 3D graphs is not optimal Installation of Microsoft DirectX is recommended because it takes advantage of hardware acceleration options, such as video cards. By default, Microsoft Mathematics opens the DirectX Setup wizard when the Mathematics Setup Wizard is complete. However, if your computer does not have DirectX installed or cannot use the technology, Microsoft Mathematics uses an alternative rendering format for 3D graphs.

Download Page : Microsoft.

Source: http://www.thewindowsclub.com/microsoft-mathematics-4-0-released-now-free#ixzz1AyBWlAye

Comments

StephanA

on Jan 14, 2011

In my days we were not even allowed to use calculators when sitting for maths and science examinations, just a slide rule.

CarGuy1

on Jan 14, 2011

Wow, you had a slide rule? All we had were our fingers and toes.

Later they started letting us use an abacus.

DrJBHL

on Jan 14, 2011

LOL.... for me, slide rules only came in High School Physics, although in Junior High School, our Math teacher had a huge one hanging above the blackboard to demonstrate logarithms.

I feel this is a great aid, especially since it's free, and can help the kids understand problem solving better.

What's more, it can help from an early age all the way through High School math.

CarGuy1 is so much older, though....you're dating yourself, Mike.

LightStar

on Jan 14, 2011

The one means I had in school was using my brain. If you cannot solve a math problem with just your brain, even a simple one, you are really going to have problems in life. Heck, over half the cashiers in this country could not even make change without the cash register telling them how much to give back!

I vote for bringing back the days of teaching math the old way!

DrJBHL

on Jan 14, 2011

I don't agree, Tom. We need everyone, and as is many run into a wall of "I don't understand" and frequently parents can't help and classrooms are crowded and frequently have disruptive kids in them.

What's the harm in a piece of software which teaches problem solving (the math sort)? It's not doing the work For them, rather helping them along step by step.

I couldn't figure out what the Geometry teacher wanted, and he was one of the meanest, angriest people I ever ran into. He was the last person I'd ask. Luckily my dad helped me, but what about the kids not as lucky as me?

I don't begrudge them a piece of free software.

I will say that MS probably has an ulterior motive, namely teaching kids to use MS Software (they have a similar program teaching MS Office 365) and, "As the twig is bent, so groweth the tree".

LightStar

on Jan 14, 2011

Oh, I am not against using extraordinary means for math Doc, what I am against is teaching kids solely using those means. Whatever happened to memorizing tables, doing simple math in your head. I mean, I can walk up to most kids on the street (teenager) and ask them a simple question like what is 56 minus 18, or what is 20 times 16, and they cannot even tell me the answer without a calculator. That is what I find very sad, very sad indeed.

DrJBHL

on Jan 14, 2011

I agree with you on that, Tom. Kids should be able to do arithmetic...and be trained to do so. For the ones that get hung up, well, Math 4.0 is an elegant aid.

Dr Guy

on Jan 14, 2011

If you want to see education programs, you should visit your child's computer lab! There are a ton out there (as I found out). Most are silly and stupid, but others are pretty good.

And they have been around for a very long time. They got their start with the old Apples, and then migrated tot he Macs and Windows. I was in on the "committee" that decided what to get when I worked for a local school division. They even have systems that cost tens of thousands of dollars! And yes, they have a market for all of them.

DrJBHL

on Jan 14, 2011

If you want to see education programs, you should visit your child's computer lab!

You're probably right, but mine are grown...

Philly0381

on Jan 14, 2011

I find that I have to agree with LighStar's point. As we advance as a society we have to use technology in ways that it does not tend to, as it said, 'dumb us down'. Something to think about.

Dr Guy

on Jan 14, 2011

DrJBHL

reply 9

If you want to see education programs, you should visit your grandchild's computer lab!

You're probably right, but mine are grown...

For you Doc!

DrJBHL

on Jan 14, 2011

hehehe

Thanks Gr Guy ...

coreimpulse

on Jan 14, 2011

math. bleh.

coreimpulse

on Jan 14, 2011

LightStar

reply 4

not using a cash register, bleh.

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