jQuery.LocalScroll 1.2 released

A new major update of jQuery.LocalScroll has seen the light.
Two minor releases were added after it and is now at 1.2.2. I'll detail them all together:

Optimizations

• Replaced a $('[name='+name+']') for a document.getElementsByName(name) to critically improve perfomance.
• Small improvements to make the code shorter.

Fixes

• The last argument received by onBefore when scrolling the window, is no more $(window) but the real element being scrolled.

Changes

• Renamed the option 'persistent' to 'lazy', the latter seemed more adequate. Using 'persistent' will still work (backwards compatibilty)

Features

• Added the option 'stop', if true (default), each event will stop any previous animations of the target.
• Added the option 'lock', if true, the plugin will ignore events if already animating.
• Added $.localScroll.hash( settings ); which will scroll to the given element if the URL contains a valid hash.
• Removed the option 'cancel' that wasn't working well, and added the option 'hash'. It does what 'cancel' was meant to do, but in a different way.
  After a scroll, the hash( #some_id ) of the link is added to the URL.
  Note:This setting is not compatible with options like offset and margin, as the browser will natively scroll in the end.
  If you use the option 'target'(to scroll an overflowed element) and the window has overflow, setting the hash will scroll the window as well. So my advice is:
  only use 'hash' when scrolling the window.

jQuery.ScrollTo is now at 1.3.2, it has a new option called 'over', check its demo to see it in action.
jQuery.LocalScroll 1.2.x requires jQuery.ScrollTo 1.3.1 or higher.

Links

• Main post
• Project Page
• Regular Demo
• AJAX Demo
• jQuery.ScrollTo
• jQuery.ScrollTo's demo (must see)
• Changelog

Downloads

• jQuery.LocalScroll 1.2.7 Zip(all files and docs)
• jQuery.LocalScroll 1.2.7 Source(to learn or test)
• jQuery.LocalScroll 1.2.7 Minified(recommended)
• jQuery.ScrollTo 1.4.2 Source(to learn or test)
• jQuery.ScrollTo 1.4.2 Minified(recommended)

I really advice using the minified versions. The code is optimized for those releases. Source versions should only be used to learn.

setting up equations for given situations

Nested radicals, smoothness, and simplification

I saw an expression involving a nested radical, namely

.

(Write φ = (1 + φ)^1/2 and solve for φ.) The Wikipedia article on nested radicals led me to Simplifying Square Roots of Square Roots by Denesting. The authors tell us that:

The term surd is used by TeX as the name for the symbol √ Maple has a function called surd that is similar to the nth root defined here; like all good mathematical terms, the precise definition depends upon the context. In general, a mathematical term that does not have several conflic! ting definitions is not important enough to be worth learning.

This reminds me of a couple things that happened in my class yesterday. First, I was defining what it means for a curve to be smooth; our definition was that the curve given by the vector function r(t) is smooth if r'(t) is continuous and never zero, except perhaps at the endpoints of the interval over which it's defined. (This makes smoothness a property of a parametrization, which is a bit counterintuitive. I suppose that one could define a curve -- as an abstract set of points -- to be smooth if it has a smooth parametrization. Although I haven't worked it out, I assume that if a curve has a smooth parametrization, the arc-length parametrization is smooth.) One of the students said "but the professor said 'smooth' means something else!" I'm not sure if the professor actually said "smooth means X" or if he said "some people think smooth means X", but i! t's a good point. (In particular, "smooth" often seems to mea! n that a function has infinitely many continuous derivatives.)

Second, the article is about using computer algebra systems to simplify expressions like

where the left-hand side is "simpler"; sometimes my students worry that they are not presenting their answer in the simplest form. While I'll accept any reasonably simple answer (unless the problem statement specifies a particular form), it is remarkably difficult to define what "simple" means.

One rule I have figured out, though, is that 4x - 4z - 8 = 0 should be simplified to x - z - 2 = 0 by dividing out the common factor. In general, given a polynomial with rational coefficients, one probably wants to multiply to clear out the denominators and then divide by an! y common integer factor of the new coefficients, so the resulting coefficients are relatively prime integers. The article addresses this sort of "canonicalization" in the context of nested radicals. I keep telling my students that they should keep that sort of thing in mind, especially since our tests will be mostly multiple-choice.

(Sometimes I'm tempted to define "simplest" as "requires the fewest symbols"... but how does one prove that some 100-character expression one has written can't be written in 99 characters? And how do you count something like "f(x, y)= (x+y)^1/2 - (x-y)^1/2, where x = foo and y = bar?" ("foo" and "bar" are supposed to be very complicated expressions.) Do you plug foo and bar into the original equation and then count the characters, or do you count the actual characters that are between the quotation marks?)

polynomial simplifier

Can Flat Plane Carving Have Any Roundness To It ?

One question Iam ask hundreds of times is this question .. Can a flat plane figure have any roundness to its shape ? .. Well lets let the masters of flat plane show us ..
Observe the three carvings below ... They are Axel Peterssons .. Sevens and Harley Refsal .. All master's of flat plane carving .. Now observe the figures closely .. Is there any roundness at all in their work .. The answer is of course there is .. look at the head of the figure in the grey suit .. doesnt his head have roundness ? Is it completely flat in nature ? No ..of course not ... Look at Axel Peterssons figure of the gentlem! an with the cane .. Is his hat rounded at the top ? Yes of course it is ...
So can a flat plane figure have any roundness at all ? YES ! It Can ...
The confusion lies in the term Flat Plane .. So often people associate the term with everything has to be 100 % flat .. no exceptions and thats just not true ..
Flat Plane carving is more a style of carving rather then a absolute term ... The old style carvers had access to few tools and primitive style .. and If you observe the carvings below .. you see a certain style of rough knife work that is the trademark of flat plane carvers .. The large or small flat knife cuts that create the character of the figure in the face and body alike .. And then finishes with little sanding and the knife cuts visible to the observer .. The style is the key .. not the word flat ..
So if anyone tells you .. You cant see any roundness in a flat plane carving .. Tell them the masters work tells different
Gene

plane figures

Current Obsession: Emoticons

Emoticons are graphical or textual representations of the writers' emotion or facial expression because it's so difficult to express your feelings in words. I guess it's acceptable to use emoticons in text messages and while chatting on the internet, but please don't use them in your exams.

Here are some emoticons that you should never use in your exams:

1. Facial expressions:
:) - smiley face
:D - big smile
:{ - guy with mustache
:{> - guy with mustache and beard
XD - smile so much until your eyes can't open
;o)- clown winking at you
>.< - upset about something
(",) - smiling
T___T - I think this means crying
o_0 - shocked

2. There are also emoticons for hand gestures and actions. For example:
\m/ - rock on
..l.. - middle finger
\/ - peace
\\// - the Vulcan salute, live long and prosper
O/\O - two people high five-ing (or Heil Hitler-ing) each other
\O/ - waving! /flailing both arms frantically
~\O/~ - waving/flailing both arms frantically because you can't swim
~^~~\O/~ - waving/flailing both arms frantically because there's a shark chasing you
(｀-´)> - salute
(",)> - HL saluting
＿|￣|○ - doggy style/give up/lady doing push ups
>--(^.^)--< - stretching hands out, presumably to hug someone

3. You can use the hand gesture emoticons in conjunction with faces. I like to use a cute cat's face. Here are a few:
=^.^= - cute cat face
A=^.^= - cat praying/putting hands together and apologizing/clapping
\/=^.^= - cat doing the 'peace' sign
\\//=^.^= - cat doing the vulcan salute. LOL, my classmate invented this emoticon
..l..=^.^= - cat giving you the finger
d=^.^= - cat giving you the thumbs up
d=^.^=b - cat giving you two thumbs up/cat wearing earphones

4. Aimster emoticons
These are emoticons that look like Aimster. M! ost of them are derived from the cute cat emoticons that I wro! te about earlier, just change the cat face to the Aimster face
-____- - Aimster face (her face really looks like this)
\_n_(-____-)_n_/ - Aimster flexing her muscles
..l..(-___-) - Aimster giving you the finger
A(-____-) - Aimster praying/putting hands together and apologizing/clapping
\/(-___-) - Aimster doing the 'peace' sign
\\//(-___-) - Aimster doing the Vulcan salute
d(-___-) - Aimster giving you the thumbs up
d(-___-)b - Aimster giving you two thumbs up/wearing earphones
O---\_(-___-)_/^ - Aimster playing badminton, she has a badminton racket in her right hand and a shuttlecock in her left hand
O---\_n_(-___-)_n_/^ - Aimster flexing her muscles while playing badminton
\m/(-___-)\m/ - Aimster doing the 'rock on' sign at a rock concert
*\(-___-)/* - Aimster cheerleading/holding pom poms/holding sparklers
3(-____-)3 - Aimster with 'rambut maggi'
~&~(-____-)~&~ - Aimster with pigtails
0(-____-)0 - Aimster ! with Princess Leia style cinnamon buns/big ears
(-____-)> - Aimster saluting
(-____-") - Aimster sweating
>--(-___-)--< - Aimster with outstretched arms, presumably to hug Jinat (this emoticon was invented by Aimster)

5. Miscellaneous
*\(",)/* - cheerleader. I like this emoticon, a classmate taught it to me
¯\(o_O)/¯ - I don't know
@}-;-`-- - rose
<3 - heart lying on its side
(_l_) - ass
(_x_) - kiss my ass/qin wo de pi gu. I learnt this from boss.

We'll see how long this emoticon obsession lasts. Make sure you don't use these emoticons in your exam. Spread the word.

middle finger smiley text

Play Rags to Riches -Mean, Median, Mode, and Range

Play a game of Rags to Riches with Mean, Median, Mode, and Range.

math mean median

Precalculus problems

Is there anything which seem to be tough these days? I personally feel there is nothing such word called "Impossible". Like for example when we need help in completing our calculus homework, its make within in seconds with the help of internet.

A very interesting example to explain you guys, earlier we use to look around for math tut ions which will help us, look for banners which tells us where we need to go if we need math help. But now its so simple with the help of internet.

Do you know how internet makes it easy for us? We have so many sites which gives us online calculus homework help and makes it easy for us.

Not alone calculus any subject it gives us help. I was looking for solved precalculus answers for ! my sister the other day and i got it within no minutes. Make use of the internet completely and score very good marks in your examinations.

help with precalculus

PASS TAKS Math 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th Blog Welcome!

Welcome to my blog. Bookmark, subscribe to and/or follow this blog because it is updated often with awesome Math links and videos.

Please leave general questions, comments, concerns, and feedback in this post. It will remain at the top of the blog. Please let me know if this blog is helpful to you.

help with math problems