HOW DIFFICULT TO COMMUNICATE MATHEMATICS

HOW DIFFICULT TO COMMUNICATE MATHEMATICS
ABOUT POLYNOMIALS IN ENGLISH

Date : Sunday, January 5th 2009
Place : Ardhita Kirana Rukmi’s Home

It’s difficult to communicate mathematics language to the other. That is not as easy as read or understand any topic in mathematics. We have to be smart to find the right words, not so hard word, so that others can understand what we said. The difficulties to communicate this mathematics language become the challenge for university students of Mathematics in Yogyakarta State University to complete an English assignment lectured by Dr. Marsigit, M. A.. We have to communicate any topic about mathematics, absolutely in English, in pairs. I am with Ardhita Kirana Rukmi.
I take The Polynomials from mathematics book of 11th grade Senior High School, second semester, published by Erlangga.
Firstly, I give her the definitions of the polynomials. Then, I show her an example of the polynomials write. She seems not in trouble in understanding what I said. So, I move to give her several questions about the definitions of the polynomials as follows:
Mention the variable, the degree, and the coefficients for each following polynomials:
a. (4+3t-2t^2+t^3+10t^4-2t^5)
b. (2x^3+5x^2-10x+7)
c. (b^8-6b^7+5b^6-16)
She can do it well. I told her the next subsection about the value of the polynomials after the examples. There are two methods to find the value of the polynomial in this subsection. First method is the substitution and the second is the scheme method. From this two methods, Ardhita like the first method better. She said that she always used the substitution method since the first time she got it to find the value of the polynomials. Here’s the example:
Determine the value of the polynomial f(x)=x^3+3x^2-x+5 if x is replaced by x=m (m element of R).
Answer: For x=m we obtain f(m)=m^3+3m^2-m+5.
I get a little bit difficulties for the scheme method because the explanation from the book uses an alphabet so it seems so abstract. I told Ardhita step by step on scheme method. Unfortunately, she’s not so understands about what I give. It maybe caused by my language that difficult to understand. But, she said that she had understands after I show the picture of the scheme.
I only take the subject matter until the second subsection. I give the exercise after finishing explaining her to see how far she knows about the polynomials. I give her three questions:
1. With the substitution method, find f(1,y) if f(x,y)=x^3y^4+xy^3+y+2x^2+3
2. Find f(2,-1) if f(x,y)=x^2y+y^2-2x+10 with the substitution method
3. Find the value of the polynomials from number 1 and two with the scheme method
She did the two first questions well. For the last question using the scheme method she needs a little longer time than the first.
From this activity I can conclude that Ardhita understanding about the polynomials better than before. The first reason is that she had learned the lesson about the polynomials since junior high school. The second reason is the definition of the polynomial reminding her to the very beginning we learned it. Or on the words it will remind all of the things that maybe passed by her.
Scheme method rarely used by Ardhita to solve the problems. She keen on the substitution method better because this method always she use. It becomes one problem to understand the scheme method quickly. She said that she uses the scheme method in factoring polynomials, not to find the value of the polynomials.
The main challenge for me is in communicate this polynomials topic in English. A little number of mathematics vocabularies is the problem that makes our communication heard not so smooth. Mathematics term maybe rarely heard. But it must be an ordinary thing for mathematics student like me.
Other problem that I face is translating this matter. I take it from the book in Indonesian. There are several term that not existing in the dictionary. I ask to my friend for sometimes or browse from the internet to handle it. The problems can be cleared then.
This activity is so good and gives so many advantages for student to know how far our communication capability in English about mathematics. I motivated to be more diligent to learn and learn, English especially, because nowadays we have to being a part of an international society from the globalization.