Originally posted by: dullard
Long post, I hope you read it.
Don't listen to a lot of the people here who will bash you. In my experience, anyone CAN do quite well at math. However, many people unfortunately had horrible, horrible math teachers growing up. Thus many people THINK they suck at math or are too stuipid to figure it out. I've seen many people just like you who had given up on math (they love Jimmy Buffet's 'Math Sucks' song). However, I've also witnessed thse same people find someone who is willing to teach them and suddenly they get straight A's in math, often at or near the top of their class.
To solve virtually any math problem in the world, you ONLY need to know a half-dozen simple rules. Also, you need to know the definition of the problem you are working on (I think that applies to any work, math related or not). Most of the time, you do know the definition of your task, so all you need to know is those few rules and to be creative in applying them.
First of all, I'd like to address one comment of yours: "explain to me how in the hell you knew what to do." Sadly, too many math teachers make it appear like there is one correct way to do something, and that the students must memorize this one correct method for every single different type of problem. FALSE! There are an infinite number of ways to solve every problem - you never have to memorize a method and you never have to know before hand "what to do".
"There is NO example of one quite like this". Yes, that is correct. And the good thing is that you don't NEED an example quite like this. If you think you need an example like that, then you've had bad math teachers. Your horrible teachers made you think there must be a memorized method for each type of problem. Thus, you think if you don't have it memorized, then you need to copy an example. Luckilly, that is wrong.
For example, lets try to solve this algebra problem: (2 * x) = (2), what is x? Your math teachers probably made you think that there is only one way to solve that problem. No, there are an infinite number of ways to solve it. Did you forget one method? No problem, you can use any other method - or make up your own method on the spot. Lets try a few methods.
[*]Division method. Lets try dividing both sides by 2:
(2*x) / 2 = (2) / 2
x = 1
Ok, we found that answer fairly easilly. But what if you forget to do that? No problem.
[*]Multiplication method. Lets try multiplying both sides by 0.5:
0.5 * (2*x) = 0.5 * (2)
x = 1
Good, we found it another way.
[*]Guess method. Lets just guess numbers and try.
Guess that x=0. 2*0 = 0. No we didn't get the 2 we were looking for.
Guess that x=2. 2*2 = 4. Nope didn't work.
Guess that x=10. 2*10 = 20. Nope, keep trying.
Guess that x=1. 2*1 =2. Bingo, we got the answer, x = 1.
Honestly, much of advanced math uses this very same guessing method. Anyone can do it, and it always eventually works. It may be time-consuming and frustrating, but you'll get the answer eventually.
[*]I have no clue what I'm doing method.Lets just do some silly things.
Add 3 to each side: 2*x + 3 = 2 + 3. Simplify: 2*x +3 = 5. Hmm, that didn't help.
Subtract 1 from each side: 2*x + 3 - 1 = 5 - 1. Simplify: 2*x + 2 = 4. Nope, that didn't help either.
Lets divide both sides by two: (2*x + 2)/2 = (4)/2. Simplify: x + 1 = 2. Hey that looks easier to solve.
Add 9 to each side: x + 1 + 9 = 2 + 9. Simplify: x + 10 = 11. Doh, that didn't help.
Subtract 10 from each side: x + 10 - 10 = 11 - 10. Simplify: x = 1. Yea! We found an answer. I had no clue what to do on each step. But you always get the correct answer if you do each step properly.
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