Math SUX

[eee1313]

So I'm working on this Practical Math book for work. And Rob is working the problems for the answer key. The problem is that Rob is finding all sorts of errors in the old text, which I have to now research and rewrite. It's cool to have actual editing work again, but why does it have to be MATH?

Right now I'm trying to figure out what exactly is a common factor. Our book says it's no more than half of the number, but how come 1 and the number itself don't apply? What happens if you only have a prime number, and the number itself is the common factor, such as with 11, 33, and 77? Are we confusing the term "common factor" with "least common multiple?" What's going on? I was an rhetoric major in college! I've been doing illustration and desktop publishing for the past three years! I can't handle this!

...Never has spicedrum's icon been more appropriate.

Comments

[sunbrae.livejournal.com]

*scratches head*

*ponders*

*cries*

Math and I are very unmixy. Though this - "Are we confusing the term 'common factor' with 'least common multiple?'" - makes sense.

[eee1313.livejournal.com]

I was hoping you'd have an answer. Or SOMEONE would.

::hates math::

[sunbrae.livejournal.com]

Why would I have an answer? I just flunked out of my math-like logic class.

Heh. Heh heh heh. Good think sodanyc is smart.

Oh, btw, in history, one of the final questions was "Who were the Brown Coats?" I really wanted write, "Firefly!"

[sunbrae.livejournal.com]

Good thing. Good thing Soda thinks. Unlike myself...

[sodanyc.livejournal.com]

Hmm, okay, I think I know what you're talking about, but I tend to suck at actually discussing math...I just kind of know it. But here goes....

I think by defintion, 1 is not counted as a common factor between a set of numbers b/c it would *always* be a common factor. Prime numbers, thus, can have no common factors. However, prime numbers can be common factors of other numbers, if you see what I'm saying. 11 is a common factor of 22, 33, 44, etc. Sadly for 11, it has no common factors as it's prime. (Erm, that sentence sounds way more math geeky than I intended it to.)

Hope that makes some kind of sense.

[eee1313.livejournal.com]

I've now talked with no less than four people regarding this issue. It's been decided that we can't talk about common factors without including 1 and the smallest number, because the smallest number is also a common factor of some of the bigger numbers. So now rather than just rewriting one sentence, I'm rewriting an entire section of the book.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I mean, it has to be done, because it doesn't make sense as it is, but... WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[sodanyc.livejournal.com]

Eeek, you have to rewrite an entire section of a math book? I'm so very, very sorry.