Please confirm that I am right

  • Context: Undergrad 
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the process of rewriting a quadratic equation in the form of a circle's equation, specifically focusing on identifying the center and radius. Participants are examining the steps taken to complete the square and whether the resulting values are correct.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents their solution to the equation x^2+4x+y^2+y+4=0, claiming the center is at (-2, -½) and the radius is 1/√2.
  • Another participant challenges the correctness of the final step in the solution, suggesting there may be a mistake in calculating (y+½)^2 and noting a missing equal sign.
  • A participant expresses frustration over making mistakes, referring to themselves as a "n00b" and seeking help to improve their understanding.
  • Another participant encourages learning from mistakes, suggesting that making errors is part of the learning process and that mastery comes from experience.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is disagreement regarding the correctness of the initial solution presented. Some participants believe there are mistakes in the calculations, while others emphasize the importance of learning from errors without reaching a consensus on the correct values.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not fully resolved the mathematical steps involved in completing the square, and there are unresolved questions about the accuracy of the derived center and radius.

lo2
We have got:

[tex]x^2+4x+y^2+y+4=0[/tex]

Which we have to rewrite so that it becomes the formula of the circle and then determine the coordinates of the center of the circle and the radius.

So I do the following:

[tex]x^2+4x+y^2+y+4=0 \Leftrightarrow x^2+4x+4+y^2+y+\frac{1}{2}=\frac{1}{2}\Leftrightarrow (x+2)^2+(y+\frac{1}{2})^2[/tex]

Then the center has got the following coordinates (-2,-½) and the radius is [tex]\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}[/tex]

The book however says something diffrent but am I right?
 
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lo2 said:
We have got:

[tex]x^2+4x+y^2+y+4=0[/tex]

Which we have to rewrite so that it becomes the formula of the circle and then determine the coordinates of the center of the circle and the radius.

So I do the following:

[tex]x^2+4x+y^2+y+4=0 \Leftrightarrow x^2+4x+4+y^2+y+\frac{1}{2}=\frac{1}{2}\Leftrightarrow (x+2)^2+(y+\frac{1}{2})^2[/tex]

Then the center has got the following coordinates (-2,-½) and the radius is [tex]\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}[/tex]

The book however says something diffrent but am I right?
.5 times .5 does not equal .5, so that answer can not be right.
 
lo2 said:
[tex]x^2+4x+y^2+y+4=0 \Leftrightarrow x^2+4x+4+y^2+y+\frac{1}{2}=\frac{1}{2}\Leftrightarrow (x+2)^2+(y+\frac{1}{2})^2[/tex]

You made a mistake in the last step. Check again what's
[tex](y+\frac{1}{2})^2[/tex].

And you forgot to write the equal sign in the last step.
 
I am a n00b. Why do I make such stupid mistakes those are mistakes that n00bs would make. I just cannot stand making such stupid mistakes please someone help me get rid of the n00bness.
 
Screwing up is a good thing in this case. Just learn from your mistakes, so you don't make `m again. Practice a lot so you can make lots of mistakes to learn from. The difference between n00b and and someone who's mastered the material is that the master has already made all the mistakes in the past, so he doesn't make them again.
 

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