Softdisk PC 108/SDPC108.ZIP/README.DOC

Text File | 1995-06-23 | 15KB | 365 lines

LIMITED WARRANTY AND DISCLAIMER
-------------------------------
CARDINAL STUDYWORLD  WARRANTS THAT THIS SOFTWARE WILL PERFORM SUBSTANTIALLY
IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY WRITTEN GUARANTEES PUBLISHED BY CARDINAL STUDYWORLD.

CARDINAL STUDYWORLD DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES RELATING TO THIS
SOFTWARE, WHETHER EXPRESSED, IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR IN ANY COMMUNICATION
WITH THE USER, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE.  CARDINAL
STUDYWORLD DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE OPERATION OF THIS SOFTWARE WILL
BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE.

SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES SO THE
ABOVE EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.  THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC
LEGAL RIGHTS.  YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM
STATE TO STATE.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
-----------------------
IN NO EVENT WILL CARDINAL STUDYWORLD BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES,
INCLUDING LOSS OF DATA, LOST PROFITS, COST OF COVER OR OTHER SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR INDIRECT DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE USE OR
ATTEMPTED USE OF THIS SOFTWARE OR ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION, HOWEVER
CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY.  THIS LIMITATION WILL APPLY EVEN
IF CARDINAL STUDYWORLD HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL THE LIABILITY OF CARDINAL STUDYWORLD EXCEED
THE ACTUAL AMOUNT PAID FOR THE PARTICULAR COPY OF THE SOFTWARE IN QUESTION.
SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR
INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT
APPLY TO YOU.

THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CHOICE OF LAW RULES OF SUCH STATE.
========================================================




THE MATH KNOWLEDGE SERIES
-------------------------

Published by Cardinal StudyWorld Inc.
P.O. Box 302, New York, NY 10028


USER GUIDE
----------

This program is one of sixteen in The Math Knowledge Series.  The Series
covers a range of math curricula:  junior high school and high school through
the first years of college.  The programs in the Math Knowledge Series, with
their course outlines, are listed later on in this User Guide.  The complete
Math Knowledge Series is available in SoftDisk's Online Download Stores on
Prodigy (Jump word - DownLoadSuper), CompuServe (keyword - Go SP) and, in the
near future, on other online services.
For more details, locations, keywords, and help in how to get to the Download
Stores, please call SoftDisk Publishing at 800-831-2694.

INTRODUCTION
------------
Math Knowledge Series offers a comprehensive course in mathematics for
students of Junior High School, High School, and first years of College.
This courseware is extremely user-friendly and requires no special knowledge
of computers. It applies to students of all levels since it responds to the
student's individual level of knowledge and skill, thus enables everyone to
arrive at full mastery of their mathematics subject.

OPERATION
---------
To run the program, type START at the prompt and press Enter.
To access the menu press F2, and follow the instructions to select and start
your program.
Please make sure that the following files reside together in same
directory, which may be given any name:   START.BAT  PAYO1.EXE
EHRDY1.EXE  EGAVGA.BGI  HERC.BGI  CGA.BGI  SIMP.CHR  TRIP.CHR  LITT.CHR
README.DOC  E??Z.EXE (E??Z.EXE means that at least one file of that form is
in that directory.)
If you install other programs of Math Knowledge Series into the same
directory, you will be able to select and run them from the same
menu.

If you have a printer, we recommend that you print this ReadMe file for
future reference and your convenience.

FEATURES
--------
√ Interactive individual tutoring.
√ Coaching through every step of solving a problem.
√ Lessons with unlimited examples
√ Context-sensitive Help system with unlimited number of examples.
√ Individualized progress: you stay on each lesson as long as you need to
  learn it.
√ The courseware recognizes different ways of solving a problem.
√ Clear explanations, in both the Lessons and the Help modes.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
-------------------
* IBM PC or compatible computer with at least 640K RAM.  The largest program
  in the  Math Knowledge Series uses 515K RAM.  If you are running other
  programs alongside this courseware, please make sure that your computer has
  enough memory to handle them, or slowdowns may result.
* Graphic Cards - any of the following: Hercules, CGA, MCGA, EGA, VGA.
  Color or monochrome monitor.
  The program determines the configuration of your computer and operates
  accordingly.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE
-----------------
When you open your courseware title on screen you will be presented with the
the menu of Coursewre Topics. After making your selection, the following menu
will appear:
                 Instructions
                 Lesson
                 Exercises
                 Quit and Results


LESSON
------
Each lesson contains rules, definitions and theorems as you might learn them
in class or from a textbook.  The courseware supplies an unlimited number of
examples and solutions with each lesson.


EXERCISES
---------
Exercises constitute the main part of the courseware and is one of its major
features.  You will have access to a vast collection of appropriate
exercises of gradually increasing levels of difficulty.   The program
continuously assesses your successive answers, letting you proceed according
to your own pace of progress.
As soon as you correctly solve a certain number of problems on one level,
you will automatically proceed to the next level. If you have any
difficulties, you can always access the HELP system.  Your grade is
continually updated.

Generally, answers must be calculated and written as precisely as possible
and follow the Algebraic Writing rules mentioned above.

The program will coach you as you go through the steps of solving a problem.
If your entry is correct, the program will prompt "Correct, continue . . .",
until the final answer is reached.  If you make some error along the way,
the program may give you a suggestion, such as "check the sign," or
"don't confuse (x+y)² with x²+y²."
If an algebraic expression is a correct answer, any algebraically equivalent
expression will be accepted by the program as correct.  For example, to
solve the equation 2(x-3)=3-x you can enter 2x-6=3-x or 2(-3)+x=3  or any
equivalent equation.


QUIT AND RESULTS
----------------
You can quit at any time.  When you decide to quit, detailed results will
appear on the screen.  You can print them if you wish to keep track of your
progress.


INSTRUCTIONS
------------
Instructions explain briefly how to move within the courseware, how to get
help, how to go back to the menu, how to use the hot keys (key combinations
for executing commands quickly), algebraic writing, answers, grading, etc.
These instructions are always available; you can retrieve them as you need
them.  There is no need to memorize them.

IMPORTANT HOT KEYS:
-------------------
Esc - Previous screen or main menu
F1 - Help
F2 - Detailed instructions screen
F8 - Calculator
F10 - Updated Grade

For basic instructions about these and other hot keys, see the bottom of the
screen; for more detailed instructions, press F2.

USING THE EDITING KEYS
----------------------
Writing is always in the insert mode; a character must be deleted before it
can be replaced.
UP Arrow key - when your cursor is at the beginning of a new line, press this
  key to copy the last line typed into the new line.  When the new line is
  displayed you can edit it using the other editing keys.
Home - Moves the cursor to the beginning of the current line
End - Moves the cursor to the end of the current line
Del - Deletes a character under the cursor
BackSpace - Deletes the character before the cursor.
Left/Right Arrows - Moves cursor left or right

ALGEBRAIC WRITING
-----------------
* The algebraic writing used in this program is standard and universal.
* The multiplication sign is optional.  If you wish to multiply the number
  "2" and the variable "a", you can write  2a  or  2*a or a2 or  a*2.
* The division sign is a slash (/).  Two fifths would be written as 2/5.  All
  operations obey algebraic order.  The value of 3+2*5 is 13 and 7/3x  means
  seven thirds times x, or (7/3)*x.
* To write x over b+c, use parenthesis.  Type x/(b+c).  Note that 2 over xy
  must be written 2/(xy).  Two operator signs must be written by using
  parentheses, as in 5-(-4), not 5--4.
* Exponents can be written with ^, as in x^2, or better yet, by pressing Alt
  and the corresponding number character on the number keys at the top of your
  keyboard (do not use the number keys on the right keypad.)
* Answers to exercises must be given as precisely as possible and a final
  fraction must be simplified and given with a positive denominator.  You can
  write 0.8 for 4/5, or 0.04 for  1/25, since the values in these cases are
  exactly the same, but do not write  0.333 for 1/3.

CALCULATOR
----------
A calculator is available for computing.  This calculator displays both
rational and an approximate decimal answer.
For example:  1/3 + 1/2 = 5/6 ≈ 0.833333.
Another example: 1/0.7 - 3/4 = 19/28 ≈ 0.6785714.

GRADING
-------
Your grade is continually updated.  Press F10 to review it.  Your grade is
calculated by an evaluation system that checks not only if your final answer
is correct, but also checks whether each step in the solution was correctly
done.
To get a perfect score for an exercise, you must do each step correctly.

SAVING AND PRINTING RESULTS
---------------------------
To save and print results choose Quit And Results from the main menu.  If you
have a printer, you can print your results at the end of a learning session.

THE HELP SYSTEM
---------------
There are two ways of getting help:
1.  You can get suggestions on how to proceed by pressing the F1 key.  The
program allows up to two hints per exercise.  After the third incorrect
answer it will provide the correct one.
2.  You can go back to LESSON from the main menu.  The LESSON will provide
you with the relevant explanations, theorems, and most important - similar
examples to the problem you are working on.  You can obtain as many different
examples as you need - their number is unlimited, since they are randomly
generated by the program.

Getting help does not affect your grade.
========================================




MATH KNOWLEDGE SERIES
─────────────────────

PROGRAMS AND COURSE OUTLINES
----------------------------

    WORD PROBLEMS 1
    ───────────────
* Solving word problems by using first degree equations,involving numbers,
    percents, two digit numbers, integer division with a remainder.

    WORD PROBLEMS 2
    ───────────────
* Solving word problems by using first degree equations, with geometrical
    shapes and with uniform motion, dealing with s=vt.

    ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS 1
    ───────────────────────
* Computing with expressions, reducing like terms, multiplication.
* Substitution of a variable and computing the numeric value of an expression.
* Translating verbal phrases into algebraic expressions.
* Factoring expressions by identifying a common factor.

    ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS 2
    ───────────────────────
* Special products (A+B)², (A+B)(A-B), cube of sum.
* Factoring A²-B², A²+2AB+B², the trinomial ax²+bx+c, difference of cubes.
* Translating verbal sentences into equations.
* Laws of powers with integer exponents (positive, negative or zero).

    EQUATIONS 1 - Linear equations and inequalities
    ───────────
* Solution of an equation, the solution set, equivalent equations.
* Solving equations of the first degree.
* Solution of an inequality, equivalent inequalities, the solution set, graph.
* Solving inequalities of the first degree.
* Special cases (when the variable is eliminated).

    EOUATIONS 2 - Quadratic equations and inequalities
    ───────────
* The solution set, solving ax²+c = 0,  ax²+bx = 0.
* Solving the equation ax²+bx+c = 0 (rational solutions).
* Operations on irrational numbers.
* Solving ax²+bx+c = 0 (irrational solutions).
* Investigating the nature of the roots using the discriminant.
* The sign of the trinomial ax²+bx+c, solving quadratic inequalities.

    EQUATIONS 3 - Equations and systems in two variables
    ───────────
* Solution as a pair, solution set, the graph of a linear equation.
* System of two linear equations, solving a system by the graphic method.
* The substitution method and the addition method.
* Special systems with no solution or dependent equations, investigating
    a system with one parameter.

    EQUATIONS 4 - Quadratic system and parameters
    ───────────
* Solving a quadratic system with a graphic meaning.
* Investigating a linear equation with a parameter.
* Solving a linear system with a parameter.

    ANALYTIC GEOMETRY 1 - Points, line, circle
    ───────────────────
* Points of a plane, coordinates, slope through two points, midpoint, distance
    between two points.
* The straight line, y=ax+b, the coefficients, forming an equation.
* The circle x²+y² = R², (x-a)²+(y-b)² = R², tangent, intersection with a line,
    circle through three points.

    ANALYTIC GEOMETRY 2 - Ellipse, hyperbola, parabola
    ───────────────────
* The ellipse: definition, loci, equation, tangent, intersection with a line
* The hyperbola: Definition, foci, equation, asymptotes, tangent, intersection
    with a line.
* The parabola: definition, focus, directrix, parameter, equation, tangent,
    intersection with a line, tangents from an external point.

    DERIVATIVES 1 - Polynomials
    ─────────────
* The notion of derivative: the slope of the tangent, deriving polynomials,
    equation of the tangent, finding x in f'(x) = c.
* Investigating polynomials: increasing and decreasing functions, extrema,
    graphing polynomials of the second, third and fourth degree and algebraic
    applications.

    DERIVATIVES 2 - Elementary functions
    ─────────────
* Deriving products, quotients, square root, trigonometric, exponential,
* logarithmic and composite functions.
* Investigating elementary functions with algebraic applications.

    INTEGRALS - Integral calculus
    ─────────
* Indefinite Integral: The notion of primitive, constant of integration.
* Finding a function by its derivative and one of its values.
* Evaluation of areas and volumes of revolution.

    SEQUENCES 1 - Functions from N to R
    ─────────────
* Explicit definition of a sequence as a function of n.
* Recursive definition of a sequence.
* Arithmetic progression.
* Geometric progression.

    PROBABILITY 1
    ─────────────
* The sample space
* Probability of simple events
* Tree diagrams - Conditional probability
* Probability of compound events

    PROBABILITY 2
    ─────────────
* Counting problems
* The binomial distribution
* The normal distribution