Commit | Line | Data |
---|---|---|
d73040b0 TL |
1 | .TH ARITHMETIC 6 |
2 | .SH NAME | |
3 | arithmetic \- provide drill in number facts | |
4 | .SH SYNOPSIS | |
5 | .B /usr/games/arithmetic | |
6 | [ | |
7 | .B +\-x/ | |
8 | ] [ range ] | |
9 | .SH DESCRIPTION | |
10 | .I Arithmetic | |
11 | types out simple arithmetic problems, | |
12 | and waits for an answer to be typed in. | |
13 | If the answer is correct, | |
14 | it types back "Right!", | |
15 | and a new problem. | |
16 | If the answer is wrong, | |
17 | it replies "What?", | |
18 | and waits for another answer. | |
19 | Every twenty problems, it publishes | |
20 | statistics on correctness and the time required | |
21 | to answer. | |
22 | .PP | |
23 | To quit the program, | |
24 | type an interrupt (delete). | |
25 | .PP | |
26 | The first optional argument determines the kind of problem | |
27 | to be generated; | |
28 | .B +\-x/ | |
29 | respectively cause | |
30 | addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division | |
31 | problems to be generated. | |
32 | One or more characters can be given; | |
33 | if more than one is given, the different types of | |
34 | problems will be mixed in random order; default is | |
35 | .B +\- | |
36 | .PP | |
37 | .I Range | |
38 | is a decimal number; | |
39 | all addends, subtrahends, differences, multiplicands, divisors, | |
40 | and quotients will be less than or equal to the value of | |
41 | .IR range . | |
42 | Default | |
43 | .I range | |
44 | is 10. | |
45 | .PP | |
46 | At the start, all numbers less than or equal to | |
47 | .I range | |
48 | are equally likely | |
49 | to appear. | |
50 | If the respondent makes a mistake, | |
51 | the numbers in the problem which was missed | |
52 | become more likely to reappear. | |
53 | .PP | |
54 | As a matter of educational philosophy, the program will | |
55 | not give correct answers, | |
56 | since the learner should, in principle, | |
57 | be able to calculate them. | |
58 | Thus the program is intended to provide drill for | |
59 | someone just past the first learning stage, | |
60 | not to teach number facts | |
61 | .I de | |
62 | .IR novo . | |
63 | For almost all users, | |
64 | the relevant statistic should be | |
65 | time per problem, not percent correct. |