Day 40, Fall of 506 AV
Early Noon
Lecture Hall, The West Wing, University of Zeltiva
Early Noon
Lecture Hall, The West Wing, University of Zeltiva
Oh lord. Why did he had to find himself talked into this?
The vantha's head throbbed as he squinted at the series of numbers before him on a fresh-looking book as a bored professor up on the lectern droned on. He already knew how to work with numbers, that was how he knew how much he had left to eat! Yet, Wejerx had insisted that he should be formally "approved" by the University's educational system before he could accept that his apprentice is "mathematically proficient". Though Eridanus had not encountered a case where numbers were needed in Resonant Harmonics, Wejerx had insisted that all researchers and scientists must understand Mathematics, and because Magecrafters were more scientist than wizard, he must do it too.
All the while the mathematics he had to do were pretty standard, since it was related to mizas, and because he tended to use round numbers to simplify and estimate. Apparently, the lecturer did not quite appreciate his methods.
"There is no such thing as 'around 100'! If it is 89, then it is 89!" The lecturer glared at Eridanus with such a look of shocked derision that it made the vantha cringe.
[1+1=?]
Okay this one is simple.
[1+1=2]
[11+11=?]
Well that obviously would be 22 then, if we follow the pattern.
[111+111=?]
This isn't so bad after all.
[1942+34029=?
22201-905=?
724x920=?]
What in the...
Eridanus looked up to glare at the lecturer who was pointedly ignoring him as the man gestured further at the blackboard. He was pretty sure that the professor did that on purpose. It was a common battle strategy; lure the opponent into a false sense of security, then unleash the blitzkreig and destroy him.
To be honest he felt pretty much destroyed right now. His experience with numbers were mainly related to gold, and because he never had so much gold before he did not have practice with any numbers of such magnitude. Even three digits were pushing it a little unless there were two zeros after the first digit.
"When you do addition, do it slowly and surely. First you equalize the number of digits. If the number on the left has more digits than the one on the right, add the appropriate number of zeros to the left of the right number. If the number on the right has more digits than the one on the left, add the appropriate number of zeros to the left of the left number."
Alright. Time to take it slow.
[1942+34029=?
4 digits vs 5 digits; add 1 digit to the left of the left one to make it 5 vs 5
01942 + 34029]
"Starting from the extreme right, add the numbers together. Sometimes you will end up with one digit, sometimes you will end up with two. If it is one, then that number is the final answer for the result in that position. If it has two, then use the right number for that position, and add the left number to the next addition operation you will do to the left of your calculated one."
That took some time to figure out and might be likely to stump non-native speakers. Fortunately, Eridanus did not live so long in this world for nothing. He had in innate grasp for logic that helped him to puzzle out the lecturer's confusing rambles.
[9+2=11; that means I keep the 1 and push the other 1 to the left
2+4+1=7
0+9=9
4+1=5
3+0=3
So the result is 35971]
"If you have been paying attention, then you should get 35971."
Eridanus cheered silently, but resisted himself from pumping his hand in the air. Perhaps it was partly due to him having to only have to work with numbers when he was counting gold, and counting so much made him feel as if he did have that much gold as well. It was a sort of behavioral conditioning, but this time working in a reversed manner.
[22201-905=?]
"For subtraction, you equalize the digits as per normal, then you start on the right as with addition. You reduce the left number by the right number. Note that while in addition the order does not matter, 1+2=2+1=3, in subtraction the order matters a lot."
Just like how there is a difference between me paying someone money, and that person paying me money.
"If the left number is too small, you must then take '1' from the digit to the left. This digit, when transferred to the right, gains a '0' behind it. Now then you should have enough to work with and you can then reduce accordingly."
Instantly, several hands were raised due to this overly tedious explanation, but Eridanus refused to do so. Instead, he worked on it on his own, trying his best to decipher what the professor meant.
[22201-905=?
22201-00905=?
1-5; not enough. Borrow from the left. But left not enough too! So borrow from the even further left. Add a 0 to that. Then I can borrow from that, the 10 becomes 9, and I have 10 to add to my 1! That gives me...
11-5=6
Since I transferred the number on the far left here, it's no longer 0.
9-0=9
Since I borrowed a '1' from here, I must reduce it.
2-1=1
1-9; do the same thing! Borrow from the left, the left becomes 2-1=1, then i add a 0 to get 10 to that borrowed '1', and I add it to my 1 on the right to get 11!
11-9=2
Since I took the '1' from here, 1-0=1
Last is easy... 2-0=2
So putting it all together... 21296.]
He was just in time to see the lecturer write that number on the board. How in the world did he worked it out so quickly and in his mind? Eridanus could only imagine that practice would allow him to do this miraculous deed. Then again, he supposed it was the same as a novice swordsman watching a master swordsman in work. He did not felt any particular awe with the way he wielded his blades despite the admiration of others, because he was already so comfortable with it. Perhaps it was the same thing with this professor. Something difficult to a new learner like him was child's play to the old man.
[724x920=?]
Oh lord. This is a hassle.
The most that he had to deal with multiplicative wise was memorizing the multiplication table from 0 to 10. Maybe in gold when he had to help his mercenary group calculate the total bounty paid per head. But usually his bounties were in flat numbers like 10 or 20, and the heads he submitted were usually less than 10. And when it got high he just simply did the long way and added everything one by one. Unless the heads were 2 or 3. 10x2=20, 20x3=60 how hard was that?
"We will take a brief break for now."
Lord knew how much he needed that break.
This is like magic.
Indeed, and the best way to deal with magic was to calm mine's one and to reduce the clutter.
Meditation.
Even a brief one would prepare him for the incoming madness.
The vantha's head throbbed as he squinted at the series of numbers before him on a fresh-looking book as a bored professor up on the lectern droned on. He already knew how to work with numbers, that was how he knew how much he had left to eat! Yet, Wejerx had insisted that he should be formally "approved" by the University's educational system before he could accept that his apprentice is "mathematically proficient". Though Eridanus had not encountered a case where numbers were needed in Resonant Harmonics, Wejerx had insisted that all researchers and scientists must understand Mathematics, and because Magecrafters were more scientist than wizard, he must do it too.
All the while the mathematics he had to do were pretty standard, since it was related to mizas, and because he tended to use round numbers to simplify and estimate. Apparently, the lecturer did not quite appreciate his methods.
"There is no such thing as 'around 100'! If it is 89, then it is 89!" The lecturer glared at Eridanus with such a look of shocked derision that it made the vantha cringe.
[1+1=?]
Okay this one is simple.
[1+1=2]
[11+11=?]
Well that obviously would be 22 then, if we follow the pattern.
[111+111=?]
This isn't so bad after all.
[1942+34029=?
22201-905=?
724x920=?]
What in the...
Eridanus looked up to glare at the lecturer who was pointedly ignoring him as the man gestured further at the blackboard. He was pretty sure that the professor did that on purpose. It was a common battle strategy; lure the opponent into a false sense of security, then unleash the blitzkreig and destroy him.
To be honest he felt pretty much destroyed right now. His experience with numbers were mainly related to gold, and because he never had so much gold before he did not have practice with any numbers of such magnitude. Even three digits were pushing it a little unless there were two zeros after the first digit.
"When you do addition, do it slowly and surely. First you equalize the number of digits. If the number on the left has more digits than the one on the right, add the appropriate number of zeros to the left of the right number. If the number on the right has more digits than the one on the left, add the appropriate number of zeros to the left of the left number."
Alright. Time to take it slow.
[1942+34029=?
4 digits vs 5 digits; add 1 digit to the left of the left one to make it 5 vs 5
01942 + 34029]
"Starting from the extreme right, add the numbers together. Sometimes you will end up with one digit, sometimes you will end up with two. If it is one, then that number is the final answer for the result in that position. If it has two, then use the right number for that position, and add the left number to the next addition operation you will do to the left of your calculated one."
That took some time to figure out and might be likely to stump non-native speakers. Fortunately, Eridanus did not live so long in this world for nothing. He had in innate grasp for logic that helped him to puzzle out the lecturer's confusing rambles.
[9+2=11; that means I keep the 1 and push the other 1 to the left
2+4+1=7
0+9=9
4+1=5
3+0=3
So the result is 35971]
"If you have been paying attention, then you should get 35971."
Eridanus cheered silently, but resisted himself from pumping his hand in the air. Perhaps it was partly due to him having to only have to work with numbers when he was counting gold, and counting so much made him feel as if he did have that much gold as well. It was a sort of behavioral conditioning, but this time working in a reversed manner.
[22201-905=?]
"For subtraction, you equalize the digits as per normal, then you start on the right as with addition. You reduce the left number by the right number. Note that while in addition the order does not matter, 1+2=2+1=3, in subtraction the order matters a lot."
Just like how there is a difference between me paying someone money, and that person paying me money.
"If the left number is too small, you must then take '1' from the digit to the left. This digit, when transferred to the right, gains a '0' behind it. Now then you should have enough to work with and you can then reduce accordingly."
Instantly, several hands were raised due to this overly tedious explanation, but Eridanus refused to do so. Instead, he worked on it on his own, trying his best to decipher what the professor meant.
[22201-905=?
22201-00905=?
1-5; not enough. Borrow from the left. But left not enough too! So borrow from the even further left. Add a 0 to that. Then I can borrow from that, the 10 becomes 9, and I have 10 to add to my 1! That gives me...
11-5=6
Since I transferred the number on the far left here, it's no longer 0.
9-0=9
Since I borrowed a '1' from here, I must reduce it.
2-1=1
1-9; do the same thing! Borrow from the left, the left becomes 2-1=1, then i add a 0 to get 10 to that borrowed '1', and I add it to my 1 on the right to get 11!
11-9=2
Since I took the '1' from here, 1-0=1
Last is easy... 2-0=2
So putting it all together... 21296.]
He was just in time to see the lecturer write that number on the board. How in the world did he worked it out so quickly and in his mind? Eridanus could only imagine that practice would allow him to do this miraculous deed. Then again, he supposed it was the same as a novice swordsman watching a master swordsman in work. He did not felt any particular awe with the way he wielded his blades despite the admiration of others, because he was already so comfortable with it. Perhaps it was the same thing with this professor. Something difficult to a new learner like him was child's play to the old man.
[724x920=?]
Oh lord. This is a hassle.
The most that he had to deal with multiplicative wise was memorizing the multiplication table from 0 to 10. Maybe in gold when he had to help his mercenary group calculate the total bounty paid per head. But usually his bounties were in flat numbers like 10 or 20, and the heads he submitted were usually less than 10. And when it got high he just simply did the long way and added everything one by one. Unless the heads were 2 or 3. 10x2=20, 20x3=60 how hard was that?
"We will take a brief break for now."
Lord knew how much he needed that break.
This is like magic.
Indeed, and the best way to deal with magic was to calm mine's one and to reduce the clutter.
Meditation.
Even a brief one would prepare him for the incoming madness.
