[Blindmath] math software for college?

Sun Dec 19 19:20:41 UTC 2010

Haden et al,

I'm impressed by your proactive undertakings. My 
only concern is that you will run out of energy 
if you try to solve all the potential problems at once.

I would hold off on R until you know you will be 
taking a statistics paper. The greatest problem 
for the sighted world is the programming required 
to use R. When you do come to need it, you will 
find R is similarly structured to the various 
forms of C and its syntax is fairly simple. 
Computer science students I teach have no problem getting into R.

I find the easiest way to learn something is to 
learn it when I need it. Few of the R documents 
out there are aimed at taking the complete novice 
through use of R without reference to actually 
learning statistics at the same time. I've 
started a document along these lines but to be 
honest its down my list of priorities so remains 
a little drafty. Still, the point remains that 
unlike other software, R is of little benefit to 
you until such time as you need it for statistics 
tasks. I say this because I use it everyday for 
almost every calculation I need to do and this is 
purely for convenience sake. I could do the same 
calculations in EXCEL or matlab or octave but its 
easier to think in one set of syntax.

I'm pleased you saw the similarities between 
latex and html as this is the link I use most 
often when telling people about latex. 
Unfortunately, most people I now encounter are 
using sophisticated front ends for html so they 
don't even know that levels of headings exist as 
codes for switching on and off.

As it happens, there is a word to latex converter 
that is free that might be of interest. The one 
HUGE caveat is that the conversion is aimed at 
replicating the word document and all its nasty 
structures etc. The resulting code is far too 
complicated in my view and loses the main 
benefits from using latex - formatting without thought.

Get back to me off list when or if you take a stats course. Then we can talk R.

Jonathan

At 07:42 a.m. 20/12/2010, you wrote:
>Thank you. I will take a look at these programs.
>
>I am not familiar with the R language so I'll look into that.
>
>I am currently learning LaTeX.  HTML was the 
>first language I learned and I notice a lot of similarities between the two.
>
>As far as different programming languages go, I 
>am reasonably skilled in python.
>Haden
>
>On 12/19/2010 12:40 PM, Birkir Rúnar Gunnarsson wrote:
>>Hello and good luck with the studies.
>>A few suggestions:
>>For web pages with math download the free MathPlayer from Design
>>Science (www.dessci.com).
>>If your teachers/profs want to give you hand outs or material in an
>>accessible way they can use MathType from Design Science with Word and
>>export the document as MathPage, then you can read it with IE and your
>>screen reader of vhoice (except NVDA at this point).
>>
>>
>>If you have math books endcoded in LaTeX or MathML you can also emboss
>>them into Nemeth using either DBT from Duxbury or TSS from ViewPlus.
>>
>>For a calculator you could try the AGC (Audio Graphic Calculator) from
>>ViewPlus ($299 though), it is a powerful calculator, but I am
>>personally still learning it, just downloded it a week ago.
>>Excel is also powerful for numerical calculations and graphs and such,
>>but does not really solve equations or do calculus type stuff for you.
>>
>>Finally look into using the R language for computing, especially the
>>command-line view. I can send you instructions but our R expert may
>>still respond to your post and may tell you more.
>>
>>I learnt LaTeX myself to write math accessibly, it is a language, a
>>bit like html, for writing mathematics, but there are two other
>>editors you may want to look into and are optimized for blind users:
>>ChattyInfty from the InftyGroup and
>>lambda from the Lambda project.
>>Neither are free but both should allow you to enter and work with math
>>as a blind user.
>>
>>I'll put all of this together in a web page soon along with user
>>reviews and instructions, I believe the School for the Blind in Austin
>>has a good math resource page, I can dig it up and send it to you in a
>>little bit.
>>
>>I took computer science and economics myself and graduated in 2002.
>>My sincerest advice to you: Start now, get one of the "teach yourself
>>c/c++/Java/Perl in 21 days books, the programming language does not so
>>much matter the concepts are the same for all more or less) .. you can
>>get them from www.bookshare.org, get a programming environment such as
>>visual studio Express, SodBeans or Eclipse,  (all free) and start
>>practicing.
>>Work through one chapter a day, do the problems, if you run into
>>something you don't understand, sign up to the Blind Pgrogrammers
>>mailing list or the program-l mailing list and ask questions.
>>If you get the basics of programming and have tried out compilation
>>and debugging, on your own with some time to spare and your own book,
>>you will do well. You may still manage if you haven't, but it'll be
>>lots of sleepless ights and anxiety. I did it the wrong way, so would
>>like to see others do it in a more relaxed fashion *grin*.
>>Hope some of this turns out useful.
>>Thanks
>>-B
>>
>>On 12/19/10, Haden Pike<haden.pike at gmail.com>  wrote:
>>>Yes.  Textbooks were given to me in braille.
>>>Haden
>>>
>>>On 12/19/2010 1:25 AM, Sarah Jevnikar wrote:
>>>>Have you used Nemeth? How have you received your textbooks in the past?
>>>>
>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>From: blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>>>On
>>>>Behalf Of Haden Pike
>>>>Sent: December 19, 2010 1:13 AM
>>>>To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
>>>>Subject: Re: [Blindmath] math software for college?
>>>>
>>>>I'm completely blind.  I haven't used anything special in the past, just
>>>>the calculator on my braille note.
>>>>Haden
>>>>
>>>>On 12/19/2010 1:00 AM, Sarah Jevnikar wrote:
>>>>>Hi Haden,
>>>>>To help us be more helpful to you, there are some general questions for
>>>>you.
>>>>>What is your vision like? What have you used in the past for math? Once
>>>>the
>>>>>list knows these things we can direct you better.
>>>>>Thanks,
>>>>>Sarah
>>>>>
>>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>>From: blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>>>On
>>>>>Behalf Of Haden Pike
>>>>>Sent: December 19, 2010 12:49 AM
>>>>>To: Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>>>>>Subject: [Blindmath] math software for college?
>>>>>
>>>>>Hi all.
>>>>>
>>>>>In a few months, I will be starting college.  What software would people
>>>>>recommend to use to help with math classes, particularly calculus?  My
>>>>>major will be computer science.
>>>>>
>>>>>Thanks for any help.
>>>>>Haden
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>Blindmath mailing list
>>>>>Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>>>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
>>>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>>Blindmath:
>>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/sarah.jevnikar%40
>>>>>utoronto.ca
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>Blindmath mailing list
>>>>>Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>>>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
>>>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>Blindmath:
>>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/haden.pike%40gmai
>>>>l.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>Blindmath mailing list
>>>>Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
>>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>Blindmath:
>>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/sarah.jevnikar%40
>>>>utoronto.ca
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>Blindmath mailing list
>>>>Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
>>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>Blindmath:
>>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/haden.pike%40gmail.com
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Blindmath mailing list
>>>Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>Blindmath:
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/birkir.gunnarsson%40gmail.com
>>_______________________________________________
>>Blindmath mailing list
>>Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get 
>>your account info for Blindmath:
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/haden.pike%40gmail.com
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Blindmath mailing list
>Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get 
>your account info for Blindmath:
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/a.j.godfrey%40massey.ac.nz

_____
Dr A. Jonathan R. Godfrey
Lecturer in Statistics
Institute of Fundamental Sciences
Massey University
Palmerston North

Office: Science Tower B Room 3.15
Phone: +64-6-356 9099 ext 7705
Mobile: +64-29-538-9814
Home Address: 22 Bond St, Palm. Nth.
Home Phone: +64-6-353 2224 (Just think FLEABAG) 