I'm making a program to teach myself first year algebra

[CoffeeBreath]

Strange, right? I would like to do a c++ program to teach myself Algebra 1. I figure if I get the formulas plugged in right, I can have a program spit a number of problems to solve. For clarity I would like the program to display numerators over denominators. Does anyone know how to do that?

And does anyone know of any C++ or C programs on beginning algebra that I can get ideas from?

[Zaita]

Ironically, in order to write a function that is able to spit out equations and then check your answers you are going to have to program in the methods of solving algebra. Before you can do this, you need to know algebra :P

Numerators over Demons. The easiest way is to have them come out 3/2 etc. Otherwise you could do multi-line output, but then your gunna have some formatting fun.

[CoffeeBreath]

I am certain that I don't need to "know" algebra to complete this program. I could sit up and write "random" equations myself and solve them backwards with the formulas I have in front of me at the moment. It's called checking your work. Of course this would make me tired and stupid. That's why we program computers. What I need to know is how to make a program to do this for me.

I'm interested in exploring multi-line outputs and looking at others programs. If any has any leads please send them my way.

[Zaita]

cout << "3\n_\n5" << endl;

We program computers to do things we already know how to do, but want the computer to do them efficently, or frequently. There are ways for a computer to "solve" problems for us, but it has to know the method of doing so, and how to validate it's answer.

e.g. Differentiating an equation. or, Solving SuDoKu.

The rules for both have to be put into the application, as well as "how to solve" the problem.

If you just wanted it to generate you problems, then thats going to be easy. But if you wanted it to give you answers then your going to have to "teach" the program how to solve the equations.


To generate problems, just take a random number of "x" and then take a random symbol ("+", "x", "/" etc) and another random number "y" and print these to screen.

[CoffeeBreath]

So, I have the methods in front of me. I need to plug them into this program. I don't need to "know" anything first. I will plug the methods into the computer does and I will know and learn through repetition.

Saying that one needs to know before doing in this case is wrong. If I had taken that to heart, it may a have a huge setback. We do a lot without knowing first and it's good for us.


" cout << "3\n_\n5" << endl;"

Could you tell me what the underscore between n and \ is and how to highlight text the way you did?

[Zaita]

http://www.cplusplus.com/forum/articles/1624/

The underscore will make it look like this
3
_
5

Albeit, a minus - would be better

  3 3
  - - 
x 5 7

You are going to plug in known problems and solutions and have it randomly present you with one?

What I was talking about was having an application that generated new Algebraic equations for you, then it generated the answer to them so it could test if you were correct or not.

[CoffeeBreath]

No. Sorry if that wasn't clear. I'll give the computer formulas (methods, recipes) to generate problems from. I actually never thought of having it test me until you mentioned it. I figured I would check myself. I would do the checking part of the program in a later version, I guess.

Could you write out that equation for me? Is it "3 over5" times something or "3 over n" ...

[CoffeeBreath]

thanks for the link.

[Zaita]

3 over 5 multiplied by 3 over 7.

personally I'd just use
3/5 * 3/7 =

[CoffeeBreath]

thanks