Help with Geometery

[minmae]

Danggg. I need help with this postulate things. Our teacher just gives out lectures...long ones. He said to make flash cards...but isn't there an easier way? And I don't get theroms! And the proofs. I need help with proofs. Can somebody give any tips or help on how/what to do on proofs? Thanks.

[Suki]

Easy. Take your math book, and memorize the theorums and postulates.

[Raistlin-sama]

It is stupid to just memorise a proof. Understanding it is the key. If you understand the proof, it becomes ten times easier to remember it as well. It's also much easier to go back to it a year later if you need it again, than if you just memorised it the first time around. Add to that the fact, that the entire point of a proof is to understand it and I wouldn't recommend just memorising it blindly.

I'm not sure whether what Suki said was about proofs as well, but just in case it was or you understood it like that, I thought I'd throw in my two cents on that matter.

If you don't get proofs, there's not much any of us can do though. You can of course use more time studying each proof, which may or may not help you. If it doesn't you're properly not good at math and well...that's it. No helping it.

I'd recommend asking your teacher before any of us though, seeing as he/she is far more qualified to help you. Perhaps you just need a push in the right direction with the things you are asking for, and your teacher is the best one to give it.

[Spadesy]

Understanding how to easily memorize those theories and postulates, yes. Real world application is better done out in the real world. I don't know about you, but in order for me to pass geometry like I did 3 years ago I'd have to retake the class. I can't remember a lot of formulae.

[Amuro]

Yeah, find a good book and go through it, experimenting on your own as you go along, until you understand everything. Something like SparkNotes' online math section can serve as a replacement as well..

Take a moment to sit back and think why you're doing a given proof in a certain manner. The postulates and most of the early theorems are all common sense. Given time, one can reason out the solution to a problem without any case-specific knowledge beforehand.
The only times memorization is necessary in a math course is when your teacher only gives you a very limited time for a large test and you simply don't have time to think but have to crack the problems automatically, and that's something that's relatively rare at the.. high school?.. level.

[Lord Dagoth]

I took geometry last year and I can't even remember what a postulate was >_<

[Evil_Koala]

Geometry is easy.

[Magami No ER]

2^memorizeTo prove a mathmatical axiom statement true.(Though I know what a posulate is, I never used that term myself)

^It can be aggravating to right brain oriented folks, though I found algebra actions harder to memorize.

I myself don't have a good memory for this, so I tend to save all notes I took on the subject. Memorization and knowing when to apply which memorized formula is the key.

[VSh]

Danggg. I need help with this postulate things. Our teacher just gives out lectures...long ones. He said to make flash cards...but isn't there an easier way? And I don't get theroms! And the proofs. I need help with proofs. Can somebody give any tips or help on how/what to do on proofs? Thanks.
As an old math teacher can say that you seriously need help. If you do nothing with it, you sink deeper and deeper. What to do:

Ask you teacher for additional lessons, if you can stand it.
Ask geometry-savvy friends for help. It works sometimes better than teachers' lectures and dependence on friend, of course.
Buy or find in a library good geometry book. I would recommend something like "Geometry (Mathematics Series)" by Harold R. Jacobs (http://www.amazon.com/Geometry-Mathematics-Harold-R-Jacobs/dp/071671745X). Reed thoroughly and solve all problems you can. Somewhat expensive and difficult, but necessary if you want good marks.

[Caine]

proofs
1) learn the most important theorums. There are about 10 that will get you through most proofs and tests, if you know them, the rest aren't that important
2) don't worry about whether your proof is the best one. If it works, it works.
3) think about where you need to go to get the end result. If you can't figure out one step, skip the reason. If you can't remember the theorum, make one up. Making up theorums is usually effective.

[regus 5000]

my god i couldnt stand geometry. i had it worse too since it was euklidian(<_< cant event spell it) but i cant remember much from that class aside from proffs suck, and im much better at straight out algebra. i guess keep studying so you can remember why a right triangle is what it it. ^_^

[Animematt55]

my geometry teacher made the whole class tshirts with all the formulas and stuff on them. Quite useful

[Haro!]

dont worry you dont need geometry.

[xxdreamergirlxx]

What I did was put all the theorems/formulas on one page and memorized them that way. It also made it easier because some of them were related to the other ones.

[Tiiba]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_theorem_proving

/Smartass.