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1.1 root 1: .\" @(#)arithmetic.6 6.2 (Berkeley) 5/6/86
2: .\"
3: .TH ARITHMETIC 6 "May 6, 1986"
4: .AT 3
5: .SH NAME
6: arithmetic \- provide drill in number facts
7: .SH SYNOPSIS
8: .B /usr/games/arithmetic
9: [
10: .B +\-x/
11: ] [ range ]
12: .SH DESCRIPTION
13: .I Arithmetic
14: types out simple arithmetic problems, and waits for an answer to be typed in.
15: If the answer is correct, it types back \*(lqRight!\*(rq, and a new problem.
16: If the answer is wrong, it replies \*(lqWhat?\*(rq,
17: and waits for another answer.
18: After every twenty problems, it publishes
19: statistics on correctness and the time required to answer.
20: .PP
21: To quit the program, type an interrupt (delete).
22: .PP
23: The first optional argument determines the kind of problem to be generated;
24: .B +\-x/
25: respectively cause addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
26: problems to be generated.
27: One or more characters can be given;
28: if more than one is given, the different types of
29: problems will be mixed in random order; default is
30: .B +\-.
31: .PP
32: .I Range
33: is a decimal number;
34: all addends, subtrahends, differences, multiplicands, divisors,
35: and quotients will be less than or equal to the value of
36: .IR range .
37: Default
38: .I range
39: is 10.
40: .PP
41: At the start, all numbers less than or equal to
42: .I range
43: are equally likely to appear.
44: If the respondent makes a mistake,
45: the numbers in the problem which was missed
46: become more likely to reappear.
47: .PP
48: As a matter of educational philosophy, the program will
49: not give correct answers, since the learner should, in principle,
50: be able to calculate them.
51: Thus the program is intended to provide drill for
52: someone just past the first learning stage, not to teach number facts
53: .I de
54: .IR novo .
55: For almost all users, the relevant statistic should be
56: time per problem, not percent correct.
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