Discusses intelligent tutoring systems and the application of Bayesian networks to student modeling. Considers reasons for not using Bayesian networks, including the computational complexity of the algorithms and the difficulty of knowledge acquisition, and proposes an approach to simplify knowledge acquisition that applies causal independence to…

Medication orders were classified into 17 groups according to the nature of the calculation required and the level of complexity. Except for pediatrics, the frequency with which nurses have to perform other than a simple calculation is low, although the potential for more complex calculations exists. (SK)

Defines anonymous distributed computing systems and focuses on the specifics of a Java, applet-based approach for large-scale, anonymous, distributed computing on the Internet. Explains the possibility of a large number of computers participating in a single computation and describes a test of the functionality of the system. (Author/LRW)

This paper presents an empirical analysis of a choice-theoretic model of cultural transmission. In particular, we use data from the General Social Survey to estimate the structural parameters of a model of marriage and child socialization along religious lines in the United States. The observed intermarriage and socialization rates are consistent…

Equations related to the computation of fugacity of nonideal gases is presented, with special emphasize on a nontraditional equation of State's fugacity and the van der Waals fugacity. It is seen that both the equations include long-range attractive forces and short-range repulsive forces and thus have similar behaviour.

This document shows a different way of adding lists of numbers to find a way of getting general formulae for figurate numbers and use Gauss?s method to check it.

Theon's ladder is an ancient algorithm for calculating rational approximations for the square root of 2. It features two columns of integers (called a ladder), in which the ratio of the two numbers in each row is an approximation to the square root of 2. It is remarkable for its simplicity. This algorithm can easily be generalized to find rational…

This research investigated the relationship between the magnitude or scope of a stimulus and its subjective value by contrasting 2 psychological processes that may be used to construct preferences: valuation by feeling and valuation by calculation. The results show that when people rely on feeling, they are sensitive to the presence or absence of…

This article illustrates how the arithmetic series 1 + 2 + 3 + ... + n is pervasive in mathematical contexts as a powerful problem-solving tool.

Scale linking is the process of developing the connection between scales of two or more sets of parameter estimates obtained from separate test calibrations. It is the prerequisite for many applications of IRT, such as test equating and differential item functioning analysis. Unidimensional scale linking methods have been studied and applied…

In behavioral research, interest is often in examining the degree to which the effect of an independent variable X on an outcome Y is mediated by an intermediary or mediator variable M. This article illustrates how generalized estimating equations (GEE) modeling can be used to estimate the indirect or mediated effect, defined as the amount by…

The boundary element method provides an excellent platform for learning and teaching a computational method for solving problems in physical and engineering science. However, it is often left out in many undergraduate courses as its implementation is deemed to be difficult. This is partly due to the perception that coding the method requires…

This article shows how to use six parameters describing the International Space Station's orbit to predict when and in what part of the sky observers can look for the station as it passes over their location. The method requires only a good background in trigonometry and some familiarity with elementary vector and matrix operations. An included…

Mathematical software packages such as Polymath, MATLAB, and Mathcad are currently widely used for engineering problem solving. Applications of several of these packages to typical chemical engineering problems have been demonstrated by Cutlip, et al. The main characteristic of these packages is that they provide a "problem-solving environment…

Structural equation models are commonly used to analyze 2-mode data sets, in which a set of objects is measured on a set of variables. The underlying structure within the object mode is evaluated using latent variables, which are measured by indicators coming from the variable mode. Additionally, when the objects are measured under different…