[BlindMath] synthetic division

Sun Feb 16 17:58:53 UTC 2025

I have to speak up .  I took college in the 90's I lost my sight at 20 going on 21.  I took my assessment test to go into college as a 100% blind person. I never used a braille display or perkins braille and did all my math with an editor on Dos first and windows later.  I took everything from Matrixes all the way up to the last Calculus without braille. Doing it in my own Ascii  like short hand.  I of course had a writer which was allowed back then. I could also do several pages of math in calculus in my head accurately.  There is something to be said about learning to do the math without a braille display. I used that rubber board and plastic to draw graphs which was not easy but I did it.  I did long division as a sighted person in High School but was able to do long division both regular and with polynomials all with an editor on the computer.  I wish we had more tools like the original Hinter Joice Pencil and Algebra with the new tools like Graphiti and monarch.    I code software for Braille and support braille but there are some of us out here that do math without it.

-----Original Message-----
From: BlindMath <blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Susan Osterhaus via BlindMath
Sent: Sunday, February 16, 2025 12:34 PM
To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics <blindmath at nfbnet.org>; peter.julien.rayner at gmail.com
Cc: Susan Osterhaus <osterhauss at tsbvi.edu>
Subject: Re: [BlindMath] synthetic division

Yes John! Our students at TSBVI still use the Perkins braille writer for polynomial division and working matrices manually. However, we also let them use an accessible calculator such as the Orion TI-84+ or Desmos for working with larger matrices. We need to try using multi-line braille displays for polynomial division and solving systems of equations and inequalities.
However, many cannot afford these yet, although there are programs in place for making some more affordable.

Peter, I still remember having to teach division of polynomials on a braille writer to students who had never learned long division in the early grades.
Yes, it is not easy teaching or learning long division for the first time in high school!! Nevertheless, my students got it!!

Shelley, I wanted current blind users to speak up first before I answered you. I think the old fashioned method of using the Perkins braille writer is still the best method. Even if you do have a Monarch at your fingertips, starting on the braillewriter would probably be a good idea. Then, see if you can transition to a Monarch or other multi-line braille display.

In addition to polynomial division, solving systems, and working with matrices, it is also difficult (if not impossible according to the single-line braille display users that I know) to create a number line graph unless you have access to at least 3 lines of refreshable braille at the same time. Again, start with the tried and true braille writer, and then try it on a multi-line braille display.

The old, but still not retired,
Susan

-----Original Message-----
From: BlindMath <blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of John Miller via BlindMath
Sent: Sunday, February 16, 2025 10:25 AM
To: peter.julien.rayner at gmail.com; blindmath at nfbnet.org
Cc: John Miller <johnmillerphd at hotmail.com>; blindmath at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [BlindMath] synthetic division

Hello, I do polynomial division to this day using a Perkins braille writer.
It is a key concept and data communications in engineering. Also finding the inverse of a three-dimensional or a four dimensional matrix is quite useful on a Perkins braille writer, despite having access to a single line braille display very best John.
Sent from my iPhone

> On Feb 15, 2025, at 1:38 PM, Peter Rayner via BlindMath 
> <blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> I'd never heard polynomial division called this before. I can imagine 
> doing this without some multi-line display by working out the first 
> term in the quotient, multiplying out the denominator, gathering 
> coefficients and subtracting then rince and repeat with the remainder 
> but good grief it would be horrible! Doing my own algebra is the last 
> major use case for my perkins and polynomial division is a good 
> example why.
> btw, it wasn't until I learned polynomial division that I really 
> understood how long division worked.
> cheers
> Peter
>
>
>
> Shelley Mack via BlindMath writes:
>> Greetings!
>>
>> If a student is beginning to learn synthetic division of polynomials, 
>> should the student begin on a Perkins brailler? Or I suppose a 
>> Monarch? I am transcribing for a student who does work primarily on a 
>> BrailleNote, but I can't envision a way to learn to do this one 
>> braille line at a time.
>> (Sidebar: I am definitely old school when it comes to math in 
>> braille, being a retired TVI and certified transcriber. But if 
>> someone has a better way, please let me know.) Thoughts?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Shelley Mack
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> --
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