Well, bro, I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that there are programmable calculators out there!
The bad news…well, let’s just say they’re not exactly user-friendly. But hey, if you’re a coding enthusiast like me, then this might be right up your alley!
Now, what are programmable calculators and why do we need them? Well, for starters, these babies allow us to perform complex calculations using programming languages instead of just basic arithmetic. And let’s face it, sometimes a simple addition or subtraction just won’t cut it!
These calculators also come with glue languages which are essentially translators that allow us to convert our code into something the calculator can understand. And let me tell you, this is a game-changer for anyone who wants to take their math skills to the next level!
So how do we get started with programmable calculators and glue languages? Well, first things first you’ll need to choose your weapon. There are plenty of options out there, from HP to TI to Casio…the list goes on! But for the purposes of this article, let’s focus on one particular brand: Texas Instruments (TI).
Now that we have our calculator in hand, it’s time to learn some basic programming concepts.
First, variables. In TI-Basic (the glue language for TI calculators), we can create a variable by using the “Let” command followed by the name of our variable and its value. For example: Let X = 5
This will assign the number 5 to a variable called X, which we can then use in future calculations. Pretty simple, right?
Next up, loops! In TI-Basic (and most programming languages), loops allow us to repeat certain instructions multiple times without having to write them out manually each time. And this is where things get really fun!
To create a loop in TI-Basic, we use the “Repeat” command followed by the number of iterations and then our desired code inside curly braces ({}). For example: Repeat 10 [Let X = X + 2]
This will execute the code inside the brackets ten times, with each iteration adding two to the variable X. We’ve just created a simple loop in TI-Basic!
But wait there’s more! In addition to loops and variables, programmable calculators also allow us to perform complex calculations using functions. And this is where things get really exciting!
To create a function in TI-Basic (or any programming language), we use the “Def” command followed by the name of our function and its parameters inside parentheses. For example: Def myFunction(X, Y) [Let Z = X + Y]
This will define a new function called “myFunction” that takes two arguments (X and Y) and returns their sum in a variable called Z. We’ve just created our very own custom function using TI-Basic!
Whether you’re a math whiz or a coding enthusiast (or both), these tools can help take your skills to the next level. And who knows? Maybe one day we’ll all be using them as our primary computing devices!