Top 5 Most Popular Posts of March

I think I'm starting to see a trend with my posts!

The top 5 most popular posts of March are a slightly shuffled variation of my top posts from February (you can take a look at those results here: http://sk19math.blogspot.com/2013/03/popular-posts-february-2013.html).

There was a chance that one of those 5 might have dipped and allowed a new star post to rise, but alas, this was not the month for that to happen.  However, to keep things interesting, the order of these leaders this time around is slightly different, so at least I can say that there is a degree of variation here.  So, the anticipation is finally over, and I present to you my most popular stories of March:

1. Stretching and Compressing Graphs.  It was number 2 last month, but it takes the crown for March!  This post discusses all you need to know to be able to stretch and squash your graphs.


2. Converting Point-Slope Form to Standard Form.  Slipped out of the top spot for a month, but could very easily win it back in April!  Learning how to convert between point-slope form and standard form is crucial, and this post details what you need to know!  (I have also recently added a companion post about Point Slope Form, which can be found here: http://sk19math.blogspot.com/2013/02/point-slope-form.html).


3. Trigonometry - Secant, Cosecant, Cotangent.  The lesser known, yet equally useful, trig functions.  They are slight variations of sine, cosine, and tangent, so if you know those 3, you don't have far to go to understand these ones - though this post helps you figure it all out.


4. Special Angles in Trigonometry.  Special angles are easy to remember, and are extraordinarily helpful in getting your trig work done quickly.  Learn the triangles that I explain in my post, and you'll be all set!


5. Which Measure of Central Tendency to Use? Mode, Mean, or Median?  With several different ways of representing the "center" of a data set, it is frequently asked which is the best way.  In this post, you can learn some general guidelines to help you select the best way of representing your data.

To find more great explanations and discussions of math concepts on my site, browse the Math Concepts Explained table of contents.  Alternately, you can enter your topic of interest in the search bar at the top of every page.

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The Midsegment Theorem

A while ago, I posted a very popular post that explained how to calculate the midpoint of a line. A lot of people have viewed that page, and so I thought that this somewhat related story might also be equally as interesting for my viewers.

Guillermo, over at "Proofs from the Book," has recently posted an interesting discussion about the Midsegment Theorem, which deals with the line that connects the two midpoints of two sides of a triangle. This concept is useful when doing proofs with triangles. According to Guillermo, the midsegmet (or midline) has these properties:

"(1) the midsegment connecting the midpoints of the two sides of a triangle is parallel to the third side and (2) its length is also half of the third side." 

If you learn how to recognize this geometrical identity, it will be very valuable to you when working with geometry or trigonometry questions. The post at that site goes into great detail to explain each step of the proof for each of these two theorems. It is fascinating to see the in-depth steps that go towards demonstrating a mathematical proof, so I recommend this page at http://proofsfromthebook.com/2013/03/25/the-midsegment-theorem/ for anyone interested in learning more about the midsegment theorem.