Re: Logarithmic Plot
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg96437] Re: Logarithmic Plot
- From: "Sjoerd C. de Vries" <sjoerd.c.devries at gmail.com>
- Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2009 03:46:31 -0500 (EST)
- References: <gn11vn$8gi$1@smc.vnet.net>
Hi Alexei, I agree with you that a good number of questions posted here are of a trivial nature. Usually, in my response, I will mention the ease with which these questions could have been answered using a simple search in the documentation. The question is whether the posters are really lazy, as it often takes more time to fire up a newsreader or browser and type the question than it is to use Mathematica's online help. What I find very annoying is that those questions often end up with ten or more almost identical responses, due to the moderation delay of the newsgroup. I just wonder whether it wouldn't be better to have an unmoderated group. However, I must admit that sometimes the subtle differences between the answers may be very instructive. We might need a FAQ, and refer all type 1 questions to it. As to the class 2 questions: I guess there wil always be free riders, people that like to leave the thinking to others. Sometimes it is seen easily, as it was the case for this one: ===== hello everybody, I have an problem to solve in mathematica! I have function f(x)=x^k, k=1,2,3,4,5 ,intervals are [-pi,pi] a) do approximation of function by fourier polynomial N grade b) do definition for approximation error E=B7n as function of parameters N and k c)do manipulate interface which will showing E=B7n in dependence of grade N and exponent k please help me, thanks... ==== All respondees noted this was an assignment of sorts. The guy got a spanking. Very funny. However, sometimes people are genuinely lost. It's hard to spot the difference and I feel that we shouldn't let the good suffer for the bad. Besides, solving someones problem often makes you learn something as well. Cheers -- Sjoerd On Feb 12, 1:42 pm, Alexei Boulbitch <Alexei.Boulbi... at iee.lu> wrote: > Yes, Ben, > there are several simple approaches. If you type the word "logarithmic" i= n the slot of the Help window you will find > some. So, you simply have not spent enough time with the doc center. > > The following note I address to the MathGroup community. May be it needs = to be discussed. > > I often find questions in the Forum which show that the one who posted= the question did not make his "homework". > That is, he did not look into the Help before asking, did not look into a > proper textbook in Mathematics (rather than Mathematica), Physics, Biolog= y (or whatever else depending upon the problem > to be solved), or into a reference book, into a manual etc. > > This situation I would classify as the class 1. I understand of coarse, t= hat answering any questions on Mathematica is a kind > of sport and makes a lot of fun for most of us. > However, I find that answering such questions objectively makes harm to t= hose people who posted them in such a way. I find > that in this case it is much better to point out a book where one finds t= he answer, textbook, manual or finally, a key-word > that would help or any other way to go, rather than a solution itself. > > There are however, the class 2 situations. These are much heavier, and I = believe they are also met sometimes in this Forum. > Sometimes I have an impression that some people post here questions in wh= ich they formulate their own work in a hope that > somebody will think instead of them, and instead of them fulfill the whol= e work or its part. It may be a student's task, or > a part of the Diploma or PhD work, even the one done against payment. I b= elieve one can distinguish such questions from > "correct" ones. I have the impression that the Gurus of Mathematica use t= o answer these as well. I personally find that > such questions should not be answered at all. > > I invite all of you to form and may be, to formulate here your own opinio= n on this problem. > > Hi, I could use some help. Basically I have imported a set of data poi= nts (concentration of compound vs. time) > and plotted it in Mathematica. Part of my assignment now is to post th= e Log[concentration] vs. time. Is there an > easy command to do this in Mathematica? I've played around and looked = in the doc center but the only way I can figure > to do it is manually calculate the values and then plot them. There mu= st be a better way. > > -- > > Alexei Boulbitch, Dr., Habil. > Senior Scientist > > IEE S.A. > ZAE Weiergewan > 11, rue Edmond Reuter > L-5326 Contern > Luxembourg > > Phone: +352 2454 2566 > Fax: +352 2454 3566 > > Website:www.iee.lu > > This e-mail may contain trade secrets or privileged, undisclosed or other= wise confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient and ha= ve received this e-mail in error, you are hereby notified that any review, = copying or distribution of it is strictly prohibited. Please inform us imme= diately and destroy the original transmittal from your system. Thank you fo= r your co-operation.