The word "algebra" derives from the Arabic al-jabr meaning ``the reunion of broken parts.'' Algebraic concepts were used as early as 1650 B.C. in Egypt and Ancient Babylon, and were brought into Europe by the Arabs. And now, thousands of years later, judging by the mail in my inbox, it is a subject that many students need help with.
There is a lot of interactive material buried within this Java-enhanced site. Across the top of your window, you'll easily find the graph-your-own-functions plotter and the algebraic calculator. But down the left-hand side are lots of goodies hidden from sight until you move your mouse over the menu buttons. For example, under "Assess" you'll find quizzes, tests and a not-to-missed project graphing voter turnout in the most recent presidential election. Click on "Help Desk" for the bulletin board, algebra chat room, and complete algebraic glossary. Actual algebra lessons can be found under "Topics".
Want to amaze your friends and family? Start with a monthly calendar and a volunteer from the audience. Ask your volunteer to pick 4 days that form a square such as March 17, 18, 24 and 25. Your volunteer should tell you only the sum of the four days (for example 84), and you'll be able to tell her which four days she picked. How is it done? With algebra, of course!
Algebra Online is THE place to go for algebra help from real people. Help is available three ways: on their Message Board (where most posts have at least two or three replies), in their chat room (which was empty when I dropped in) or "Personal Help" via email to a tutor. Before emailing a tutor, be sure to check the Message Board (which has an excellent search function) to see if your question has already been answered. Note that the search available from the home page searches the entire Internet. To search just the Message Board, first enter the board and use the small search button near the top of the page.
What a scream! Meet Gwynn and Alison, two sisters doing the mall "California style" each trying to outspend the other. How much do they have to spend? Well, Gwen got a $50 present from her uncle, and managed to borrow $20 from Dad. Alison squeezed a birthday advance out of Mom. Then Dad went on a business trip and bought Gwynn a really nice present, but only bought Alison a crummy teddy bear. How are they ever going to figure it all out? It's Al-Jabra to the rescue!
What it lacks in fancy graphics, Introduction to Algebra makes up for in clearly-written definitions and easy-to-understand examples. Starting with "A variable is a symbol that represents a number." And moving on to "An expression is a mathematical statement that may use numbers, variables, or both." Each definition builds on the previous to present a straightforward introduction to algebraic concepts.
The following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
Alt.Algebra.HelpHigh School Algebra Q&A | Middle School Algebra Q&AOrigins of Algebra |
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