Next topic: General Introduction
In order to benefit from the present tutorial, one should try all the options described below, and follow the instructions.
There are four links on the top and bottom of each page (present included):
In addition to the windows opened by the four links listed above, the courseware is based on three types of windows: page, figure and solution.
All the courseware links open in the same window. However by right-clicking on a link, one can choose by convenience, to open it in a new tab or in a different window.
The window you are viewing now, is of the type "page". It contains text, embedded occasionally with mathematical expressions.On its top and bottom there are links for the previous and next topics that are suggested for the user, who wants to cover all the subjects of this courseware.
Different topics of a page are subtitled by red characters. You are reading the topic "Page".
The main points (expressions or words) of a paragraph are displayed in bold letters. This is very helpful in scanning the text and looking for a particular subject.
The size of text and the mathematical symbols depend on your browser set-up and monitor resolution. For resizing use the zoom-in and zoom-out instructions of your browser. The size of text and of the mathematical symbols change proportionally.
The navigation between the page-windows is done by clicking the link of a page (e.g. the link for the previous or the next topic), or by moving back and forth, using the browser's buttons. Using the links "Table of Contents" or "A-Z Index" is another method of navigation.
Following is an example of a mathematical expression - the Pythagorean theorem for a right-angle triangle, where c is the length of the hypotenuse, and the symbols a and b - of the other sides.
| (0.0.1.1) |
The fenced numbers on the right of a mathematical expression represent in that order: chapter, section, page and mathematical expression.
The abbreviation Fig. (in red) before the link's name indicates a figure-window. It is convenient some times to open the figure in a different window, thus the page-window is available simultaneously. However simultaneous display of more than one animated figure-windows could affect the apparent smoothness of the animations.
A title appearing in the figure-window represents also a link back to the correspoding page (or exercise), with the exception of the Internet Explorer browser.
The figures contain graphical information and text. Most of the figures are interactive, and some are animated. Yellow buttons, from the control bar on the bottom of each Fig. window, activate the interactivity and the animations. In some cases the interactivity is enhanced by more buttons.
The text and the graphics change sequentially. The user may progress according to his individual speed by clicking the appropriate buttons. An animation can be speeded up , paused, and resumed at any interval. Some animations can be repeated with different parameters.
The graphics scalability allows to zoom-in, zoom-out, and pan any detail.
The extensive use of colours in the figures, which is natural in graphics, also appears in the text. We have attempted to match the colour of the text with the appropriate detail in the graphics, in order to focus the attention of the user to that particular detail.
All these features are explained and illustrated, according to the browser used, in the Fig. Pythagoras, where a proof of the popular Pythagorean theorem appears as a tutorial.
In general the last topic in a page is subtitled Exercises. It contains exercises to be solved by the user, which are based on the theory and examples in the page. Each exercise is numbered, and the "Exercise number" is a link to the solution-window. The "page number", located at the top of the solution window, provides the link back to the corresponding page-window.
In addition to the detailed solution, there are instructions for the user to evaluate ones score on the basis of ones solution, done independently. Ten points is the maximal score for each exercise. Under the next subtitle there is an exercise including the solution link.
Exercise 1. A right-angle triangle has two identical sides of length s each. How long is the third side?
Next topic: General Introduction
