#65

[robertkoepl]

I know it's just a number cruncher, but I feel like I'm always missing this in practice and in competitions. Can anyone shed some light on me?

[nsguy1350]

Same problem, and I would bet you are missing it because of your HP calculator, if you have one, which you probably do if you miss #65 a bunch. I am assuming this.
You know that your calculator has a stack, right? This is where it stores all the numbers once you press ENTER. The drawback to the HPs is that the stack can only hold a maximum of 4 numbers (I don't know why, they should've been able to store more than that), so that if you enter a fifth number, you lose the first number that entered the stack. When you work #65, left to right, you often reach a fifth number, which gets rid of the first number in the stack, making your answer garbage. For 65, work from the inside out, not left to right.

[BlasianAsian]

Yeah, I've noticed a couple of things, where, if you entire a fourth number, the first number you entered gets repeated three times in your calculator's memory. Strange...

[007math]

I posted about this earlier:

I'm not sure what #65 is on this test, but what the test writer usually does to trick people is take advantage of your HP's weakness (i assume you are using RPN HP). Most of these calculators can only hold 5 (or was it 4?) numbers in its stack (whenever you click enter, it stores the number in a stack so later on when you do + or another operation, it takes the number from the most recent stack and does the operation). On #65 problems, the test writer sometimes makes it, when doing the problem left-to-right exactly as written, use more than 5 stacks so your first entry is gone and therefore you would never get the right answer. When you have a fraction or something simple and added/subtracted/etc. to a complex expression, you have to manipulate it so you can put in the complex thing first then incorporate the smaller/simpler expression. Hope that helps for #65s.

[robertkoepl]

I use an hp 35s if that tells you anything

[BlasianAsian]

Ew. HP 33 is so much better.

[FabensMath]

Ew. HP 33 is so much better.

I would say HP 32sII

[redhawk2015]

Why do you all use HPs for the number problems? I use one TI-84+ for everything and it seems to work just fine...

[FabensMath]

Why do you all use HPs for the number problems? I use one TI-84+ for everything and it seems to work just fine...

It's quicker, you completely avoid parenthesis, so you can do them (if you practice) in around 8-9 min.

[redhawk2015]

What do you mean by "completely avoiding parenthesis"?

[BlasianAsian]

You can switch around the numbers and do them in any order you like. And if you won't miss anything and get that annoying Error: Syntax thing.

[smeag]

ok, what stated and geometry do you guys do to get scores of 300? I mean most of you guys are better than me anyways...

[FabensMath]

What do you mean by "completely avoiding parenthesis"?

Example: (6.79 + 7.71)*8.9

On a Ti you would keep it like that and input how it is.
On an HP, you would input:
6.79 ENTER 7.71 + 8.9 *
So you put the operator "after" the number.
Here on this problem it doesn't make a difference whatsoever, but on the longer ones you avoid it, and eventually you end up pressing less buttons on the long run.

[FabensMath]

ok, what stated and geometry do you guys do to get scores of 300? I mean most of you guys are better than me anyways...

I can't score 300s, i'm lame, i'm sorry, but if it helps, the ones i do are first 4 pages and 58 for sure, and depending on the test maybe page 5 problems and the ones on the study list for the back page.

[smeag]

Well at least you are not as lame as me...

[BlasianAsian]

Well, mister I'm hating on HP33, (=D), the button difference is less than 1/4 of a sec. What's the difference?

[smeag]

what are you talking about?

[BlasianAsian]

Calculators? Look at above posts?

[007math]

I love how the OP asks something but by a few posts down the topic of conversation has completely changed.

And to complement this digress: HP 33s FTW :D

[BlasianAsian]

^^^^^^^Amen to that!^^^^^^^^

And you're right, 007Math, you are SO right, lol. We math people's minds fly around so much.

[nsguy1350]

I hear that HP32Sii is best.
I also think that TI-89 is best.
I have the 32/89 combo! :D
Unfortunately, that means no excuses.

[FabensMath]

I hear that HP32Sii is best.
I also think that TI-89 is best.
I have the 32/89 combo! :D
Unfortunately, that means no excuses.

YES!!!! AGREE!!!
My combo used to be Ti-84 and HP33, then i tried Ti-89 and HP32sii and now i don't think i would ever switch back.

[smeag]

whats wrong with hp33si compared with hp32?
and ti-84 to ti-89

[BlasianAsian]

I guess just use whatever can get you to state?

[FabensMath]

whats wrong with hp33si compared with hp32?
and ti-84 to ti-89

Nothing, they're all really good calculators. Just that my score went up when I switched...but i can't blame it completely on the calculator.