<p>The essence of MIT is its "appetite for problems - especially those big, intractable, complicated problems." And here we want to find quick, easy, solutions to problems, escaping the learning behind the tedious derivations! I agree with you Olo, what is our world coming to!</p>
<p>I do not believe there is much learning involved in manually cranking through a difficult integral. The point of the problem in most classes here is the set up of the problem and the learning and insight that goes on behind it. Why else would you get nearly full credit on a test for a correct set up but incorrect solution?</p>
<p>I know it may sound shocking, but I haven't used trig substitutions, integration by parts, or any of that stuff since BC calculus in high school.</p>
<p>Wanting a TI-89 to solve the problem quickly isn't laziness, it just makes sense. Why waste an additional couple of hours (which you often don't have) cranking by hand, when the point of the problem was the setup?</p>
<p>
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Why waste an additional couple of hours (which you often don't have) cranking by hand, when the point of the problem was the setup?
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</p>
<p>Because integrals are FUN!!! :-)</p>
<p>-Oren</p>
<p>LOL</p>
<p>alright. You can party with the integrals all the way through 18.02.</p>
<p>My guess is you might change your mind XD</p>
<p>The fun is in the puzzle! But, I see what you are saying. If time is short, it doesn't make that much sense to compute the long integrals and the difficult problems. But even then, calculators often fail one in solving difficult integrals. Here's where good problem-solving skills come in handy :-).</p>
<p>My mom bought me a lovely TI-89 Titanium for school. I still haven't opened the packaging.</p>
<p>Don't get me wrong, I love the TI-89 Titanium, but after a certain point it's just not necessary. If your TI-89 Ti can't do it, then it's probably something you should open up MATLAB for... I have no clue what they're going to put on the "next generation" of calculators.</p>
<p>Yeah, i know ln works, I'm just a lazy bum.</p>
<p>Let's all go back to slide rules? I think not.
Calculators are good for...busy work....
book-keeping...</p>
<p>I do <3 derivatives though...integrals, not so much.</p>
<p>Hehe, the key thing to remember for integrals is that if all else fails, turn it into a natural log. :P</p>