On 29 May 96 at 11:32, John Korb wrote:
 
> <snip>
> Nagy, Ferenc, Ph. D. said:
>
> >P. S. I am going to print out this question, let my daughters have an idea
> >about the low level of the math education in the USA. The had to answers
> >this question in the age of 15.
> >                                       F.
>
> I don't think it is the quality of education, as when the quadratic equation
> was presented, there was a chorus of "oh yeah" comments.  I believe it is
> more a case of when you haven't used something in over twenty years, you
> tend to forget it.
 
I agree with John.  I believe I was 15 (or maybe even 14) when I
learned the quadratic equation.  However, I little older than that now
and haven't had the need to use it, so I had forgotten it.
 
Larry Boyd    <[log in to unmask]>
"Each problem solved creates the opportunity to solve the next problem
          that the last solution created." - Richard Pascale
(These opinions are my own and not those of Hewlett-Packard.)