Dudley B.

Friendly, Patient, UNDERSTANDABLE Math, CS, and Physics tutor

Friendly, Patient, UNDERSTANDABLE Math, CS, and Physics tutor

Computer Programming

I have a BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley, where I also did Physics and Computer Science. Back when computers were new, programmers quickly discovered that it's relatively easy to write a program which a computer can understand. What's harder is writing a program which a human being can understand! (Including yourself, when you look at a program you wrote years ago.) Fortunately, modern computing languages make the "understandable by a human being part" much easier. So we can focus on the slightly easier part, writing a program that a computer can understand. That is, writing a program that actually does what we want it to do! Computer languages are like human languages in some ways: You can say the same things (or get a computer to do the same things) in any language, but each language has its own grammar, vocabulary, style, idioms, and even cliches. So you'll learn two things: (1) How to tell the computer what to do -- in *any* language. That is, how to take some real-life problem and break it down into smaller and smaller pieces, until you have pieces that are small enough that it's easy to tell the computer how to do them. And then how to put those pieces back together into one large program that solves the problem. In particular, you'll learn some of the standard ways (standard "algorithms") that programmers have discovered and developed over the years. (2) The details of whichever particular language you are studying -- how the ideas that you figured out in Step (1) really are expressed in that particular language. And you'll learn about testing and debugging. How to anticipate problems that might happen, and how to make your program guard against them. How to think of different ways to test how well your program works. How to track down things that go wrong in your program when you do test it. And even how to make your program run faster. I'll teach you an approach to programming called the "top-down approach" (also called the "lazy approach"!!!) that actually makes it easier to prog

Computer Science

I have a BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley, where I also did Physics and Computer Science, and I've been tutoring since 1980 for all kinds of Math and Physics subjects, at all levels, and tutoring Computer Science since 1989. I have hundreds of satisfied clients who have done well in their classes, tests, and even careers, with my help. I've also worked since 1991 as a writer, editor, and math accuracy checker on scores of math textbooks for a dozen publishers. I have also worked as a computer programmer. "Computer Science" covers a lot of territory! You might say that it's everything about computers that doesn't already have a course that has its own name! I can help you understand everything from the very "bottom" (how does a computer chip work?) to the very "top" (the so-called "most important unsolved problem in computer science", which, if you're the first person to solve it, you'll win a million dollars!) Of course, I can only help you *understand* that problem; I can't help you *solve* it. If I knew how to solve it (and I don't have a clue!), I'd want the million dollars for myself. ;^) In between, you'll learn about Assembly Language (how to program in a language the computer actually understands), compilers and interpreters (how to translate a program which a human being understands into one which a computer understands), algorithms (methods for solving particular problems, which computer programmers have already come up with, and how to come up with new methods yourself), programming languages (the different "dialects" of talking to a computer, and how they affect how *you* think about computing), Theory of Computation (the real "science" of Computer Science -- just what *is* a computer, anyway? What can a computer do? And what can't it do?), and Complexity Analysis (just how "good" is any particular program, and just how "hard" is any particular problem -- this is what that million-dollar prize is about). I am very friendly, supportive, and understanding -- and funny. I show you what everyt

General Computer

I have a BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley, where I also did Physics and Computer Science, and I've been tutoring since 1980 for all kinds of Math and Physics subjects, at all levels, and tutoring Computer Science, including General Computers, since 1989. I have hundreds of satisfied clients who have done well in their classes, tests, and even careers, with my help. I've also worked since 1991 as a writer, editor, and math accuracy checker on scores of math textbooks for a dozen publishers. I have also worked as a computer programmer.

General Computer

I have a BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley, where I also did Physics and Computer Science, and I've been tutoring since 1980 for all kinds of Math and Physics subjects, at all levels, and tutoring Computer Science, including General Computers, since 1989. I have hundreds of satisfied clients who have done well in their classes, tests, and even careers, with my help. I've also worked since 1991 as a writer, editor, and math accuracy checker on scores of math textbooks for a dozen publishers. I have also worked as a computer programmer.

Statistics

Statistics can be a very confusing subject. It's not the actual math which is hard; rather, it's the types of questions, and the types of answers! You'll see questions like "if the percentage in the sample who are voting for Mr Politician is 43%, you can be 95% certain that in the whole U.S. the percentage who are voting for him is how many percent, with how many percent error?" And, unlike in most mathematical subjects, you never say "the answer *is* so-and-so," you say "the answer is *probably* *around* so-and-so" ... but you are expected to be very precise about what "probably" means and what "around" means! When you look through a Statistics textbook, you may be frightened by what looks like hundreds of formulas. I'll show you how all that gobbledy-gook really makes sense ... common sense! I'll show you how all the formulas are just minor variations on a few basic formulas. And I'll teach you an approach to "story" problems called the "top-down approach" (also called the "lazy approach"!!!) that makes it easy to see how work towards the answer. I am very friendly, supportive, and understanding -- and funny. And I have been involved in the arts my entire life, so if you happen to think that you can't relate to science or mathematics, I can help you learn how to do so.

Algebra 1

I have a BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley, where I also did Physics and Computer Science, and I've been tutoring since 1980 for all kinds of Math, Computer Science, and Physics subjects, at the high school and college level, including Algebra 1. I have hundreds of satisfied clients who have done well in their classes, tests, and even careers, with my help. I've also worked since 1991 as a writer, editor, and math accuracy checker on scores of math textbooks, including several Algebra textbooks for a dozen publishers. I'm a very supportive, patient, and encouraging tutor ... and *a very clear explainer*. (One of my students once suddenly asked "Are you over-simplifying this?" "No, why?" "Because I can understand it!") I can show you the common sense behind the math so that it will be not only much easier to understand but also unforgettable. I also have a side career in the arts, so I am very good for “non-math”, “non-science” people. If you think that you are not good at math, or don’t like it, I can help you discover that not only can you *do* it, but you can even *enjoy* it!

Algebra 2

I have a BA in Mathematics from the University of California in Berkeley, where I also did Physics and Computer Science. I have been tutoring since 1980 in all levels of Math, including Algebra 2. I have hundreds of satisfied students who have done well in their Algebra (and other) homework, tests, and classes, with my help.

Calculus

I have a BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley, where I also did Physics and Computer Science, and I've been tutoring since 1980 for all kinds of Math, Computer Science, and Physics subjects, at all levels — including Calculus. I have hundreds of satisfied clients who have done well in their classes, tests, and even careers, with my help. I've also worked since 1991 as a writer, editor, and math accuracy checker on scores of math textbooks, including many Calculus textbooks, for a dozen publishers. I have also worked as a computer programmer. Sir Isaac Newton invented calculus in order to explain why the Moon goes around the Earth and why the Earth goes around the Sun, and where a cannonball will land after it is fired. One of the main uses of Calculus is to explain how things *move*. And we have so much experience of movement in our own bodies (throwing things, jumping, etc.), that we often have a good intuition of what the answer to a problem should be, even before we do the Calculus! I'll use your intuition and experience to show you how the formulas and techniques in Calculus really describe things which we have already seen or felt. And Calculus is very visual. We can take a problem like describing the path of a rocket and change it into a picture (a graph), and use Calculus to study the picture to answer questions about the rocket. In the modern world, Calculus is also used for everything from biology to finance, so there are many, many things which Calculus explains ... and which make it easier to explain Calculus! I'll teach you an approach to "story" problems called the "top-down approach" (also called the "lazy approach"!!!) that makes it easy to see how work towards the answer. I am very friendly, supportive, and understanding -- and funny. And I have been involved in the arts my entire life, so if you happen to think that you can't relate to science or mathematics, I can help you learn how to do so.

Geometry

Geometry is about two very different things. It's about shapes -- triangles, rectangles, circles, etc., etc. And it's also about *proving* things. (How do we *know* that the Pythagorean Theorem is true? Can we *prove* it?) Learning how to do proofs in Geometry is a very good exercise for leaning how to be logical -- and prove things! -- in real life, too. I'll encourage you to do lots of doodling to learn the properties of the different shapes you'll study -- what it means to talk about their circumference, their area, their volume -- and how you can figure out the various formulas yourself, so that they make sense and you'll never forget them. I'll show you different methods of doing proofs (such as "working from both ends" and "counting the information") that make this tricky but very important subject much easier. And I'll teach you an approach to "story" problems called the "top-down approach" (also called the "lazy approach"!!!) that makes it easy to see how work towards the answer. I am very friendly, supportive, and understanding -- and funny. And I have been involved in the arts my entire life, so if you happen to think that you can't relate to science or mathematics, I can help you learn how to do so.

Precalculus

So you're about to do the groundwork for Calculus! Calculus itself is not quite as scary as many people think -- a lot of the concepts are easy to "feel" ... since they're about how physical objects move. But you'll do a *lot* of Algebra in a Calculus class ... maybe more than you do in any Algebra class! (Plus some trigonometry.) So it's good to be really familiar with algebra. That's what Precalculus is for. In Precalculus you'll be doing more advanced Algebra than you've done before. In particular, you'll be studying the idea of "functions". Functions are probably the single most important and most useful idea in all of mathematics. They're all about how one thing changes based on how another thing changes. There are all kinds of real-life examples (which I'll show you), which can be described by mathematics. Mostly we'll be studying the kinds of functions (or changes) which can be described with algebra equations. There's a lot of material in Precalculus, but I can show you how it all makes sense ... and you'll discover the fun in it!

Statistics

Statistics can be a very confusing subject. It's not the actual math which is hard; rather, it's the types of questions, and the types of answers! You'll see questions like "if the percentage in the sample who are voting for Mr Politician is 43%, you can be 95% certain that in the whole U.S. the percentage who are voting for him is how many percent, with how many percent error?" And, unlike in most mathematical subjects, you never say "the answer *is* so-and-so," you say "the answer is *probably* *around* so-and-so" ... but you are expected to be very precise about what "probably" means and what "around" means! When you look through a Statistics textbook, you may be frightened by what looks like hundreds of formulas. I'll show you how all that gobbledy-gook really makes sense ... common sense! I'll show you how all the formulas are just minor variations on a few basic formulas. And I'll teach you an approach to "story" problems called the "top-down approach" (also called the "lazy approach"!!!) that makes it easy to see how work towards the answer. I am very friendly, supportive, and understanding -- and funny. And I have been involved in the arts my entire life, so if you happen to think that you can't relate to science or mathematics, I can help you learn how to do so.

Algebra 1

I have a BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley, where I also did Physics and Computer Science, and I've been tutoring since 1980 for all kinds of Math, Computer Science, and Physics subjects, at the high school and college level, including Algebra 1. I have hundreds of satisfied clients who have done well in their classes, tests, and even careers, with my help. I've also worked since 1991 as a writer, editor, and math accuracy checker on scores of math textbooks, including several Algebra textbooks for a dozen publishers. I'm a very supportive, patient, and encouraging tutor ... and *a very clear explainer*. (One of my students once suddenly asked "Are you over-simplifying this?" "No, why?" "Because I can understand it!") I can show you the common sense behind the math so that it will be not only much easier to understand but also unforgettable. I also have a side career in the arts, so I am very good for “non-math”, “non-science” people. If you think that you are not good at math, or don’t like it, I can help you discover that not only can you *do* it, but you can even *enjoy* it!

Algebra 2

I have a BA in Mathematics from the University of California in Berkeley, where I also did Physics and Computer Science. I have been tutoring since 1980 in all levels of Math, including Algebra 2. I have hundreds of satisfied students who have done well in their Algebra (and other) homework, tests, and classes, with my help.

Calculus

I have a BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley, where I also did Physics and Computer Science, and I've been tutoring since 1980 for all kinds of Math, Computer Science, and Physics subjects, at all levels — including Calculus. I have hundreds of satisfied clients who have done well in their classes, tests, and even careers, with my help. I've also worked since 1991 as a writer, editor, and math accuracy checker on scores of math textbooks, including many Calculus textbooks, for a dozen publishers. I have also worked as a computer programmer. Sir Isaac Newton invented calculus in order to explain why the Moon goes around the Earth and why the Earth goes around the Sun, and where a cannonball will land after it is fired. One of the main uses of Calculus is to explain how things *move*. And we have so much experience of movement in our own bodies (throwing things, jumping, etc.), that we often have a good intuition of what the answer to a problem should be, even before we do the Calculus! I'll use your intuition and experience to show you how the formulas and techniques in Calculus really describe things which we have already seen or felt. And Calculus is very visual. We can take a problem like describing the path of a rocket and change it into a picture (a graph), and use Calculus to study the picture to answer questions about the rocket. In the modern world, Calculus is also used for everything from biology to finance, so there are many, many things which Calculus explains ... and which make it easier to explain Calculus! I'll teach you an approach to "story" problems called the "top-down approach" (also called the "lazy approach"!!!) that makes it easy to see how work towards the answer. I am very friendly, supportive, and understanding -- and funny. And I have been involved in the arts my entire life, so if you happen to think that you can't relate to science or mathematics, I can help you learn how to do so.

Discrete Math

I have a BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley. Discrete Math is an introduction to all of the mathematics that is used in computer science. Not the math that you might solve using a computer; rather, the math that led to the existence of computers in the first place, and that helps you analyze how to write programs about non-mathematical subjects, and that helps you analyze how well a program works. It gets you started on a huge number of different subjects: algebra, logic, graph theory, automata theory, formal language theory ... just to name a very few! This might seem intimidating. But I can help you make sense of all of it! I'm very friendly and very patient, and I'm an extremely clear explainer. I can show you how to use pictures and your own intuition to help understand the material, and to see what the relevance of it is. I have a BA in Math from UC Berkeley, as well as lots of programming experience, so whether you're coming at this subject from a background in math or a background in computers, I can relate. Also, I've been involved in the arts all my life, so I'm especially good at explaining this material for non-math, non-science people.

Geometry

Geometry is about two very different things. It's about shapes -- triangles, rectangles, circles, etc., etc. And it's also about *proving* things. (How do we *know* that the Pythagorean Theorem is true? Can we *prove* it?) Learning how to do proofs in Geometry is a very good exercise for leaning how to be logical -- and prove things! -- in real life, too. I'll encourage you to do lots of doodling to learn the properties of the different shapes you'll study -- what it means to talk about their circumference, their area, their volume -- and how you can figure out the various formulas yourself, so that they make sense and you'll never forget them. I'll show you different methods of doing proofs (such as "working from both ends" and "counting the information") that make this tricky but very important subject much easier. And I'll teach you an approach to "story" problems called the "top-down approach" (also called the "lazy approach"!!!) that makes it easy to see how work towards the answer. I am very friendly, supportive, and understanding -- and funny. And I have been involved in the arts my entire life, so if you happen to think that you can't relate to science or mathematics, I can help you learn how to do so.

Logic

I have a BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley, where I also did Physics and Computer Science. My specialty was Logic, Foundations, and Metamathematics. For over 2000 years, Logic was the study of how to win arguments, as taught by the ancient Greeks. ("All men are mortals. Socrates is a man. Therefore Socrates is a mortal.") Then, around the year 1900, mathematicians started to realize that the subject could be greatly expanded, that there were gaps in it as it had been taught, and that it was fundamental not just to argument but to all of mathematics and ... well, EVERYTHING! In the 20th century this led to some of the profoundest and most startling results in the entire history of human thought ... including proving what things mathematics (and computers) CANNOT do! You may be studying the elementary laws of correct arguing, or you may be studying the 20th-century developments. I can help you with any level of Logic. I have a BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley, and my main area of interest was Logic/Metamathematics/Foundations. Logic is all about clarity, and I'm am an especially clear explainer. I am also very patient and very friendly and supportive. Also, I have been involved in the arts all my life, so I am particularly good at explaining this subject to non-math, non-science people. I can show you how logic starts out as just very carefully taught common sense and develops from there. I know all kinds of ways to visualize the subject, including well known ways, lesser known ways, and even some ways which I have developed myself. I look forward to helping you discover the joys of this fascinating and deep subject.

Precalculus

So you're about to do the groundwork for Calculus! Calculus itself is not quite as scary as many people think -- a lot of the concepts are easy to "feel" ... since they're about how physical objects move. But you'll do a *lot* of Algebra in a Calculus class ... maybe more than you do in any Algebra class! (Plus some trigonometry.) So it's good to be really familiar with algebra. That's what Precalculus is for. In Precalculus you'll be doing more advanced Algebra than you've done before. In particular, you'll be studying the idea of "functions". Functions are probably the single most important and most useful idea in all of mathematics. They're all about how one thing changes based on how another thing changes. There are all kinds of real-life examples (which I'll show you), which can be described by mathematics. Mostly we'll be studying the kinds of functions (or changes) which can be described with algebra equations. There's a lot of material in Precalculus, but I can show you how it all makes sense ... and you'll discover the fun in it!

Statistics

Statistics can be a very confusing subject. It's not the actual math which is hard; rather, it's the types of questions, and the types of answers! You'll see questions like "if the percentage in the sample who are voting for Mr Politician is 43%, you can be 95% certain that in the whole U.S. the percentage who are voting for him is how many percent, with how many percent error?" And, unlike in most mathematical subjects, you never say "the answer *is* so-and-so," you say "the answer is *probably* *around* so-and-so" ... but you are expected to be very precise about what "probably" means and what "around" means! When you look through a Statistics textbook, you may be frightened by what looks like hundreds of formulas. I'll show you how all that gobbledy-gook really makes sense ... common sense! I'll show you how all the formulas are just minor variations on a few basic formulas. And I'll teach you an approach to "story" problems called the "top-down approach" (also called the "lazy approach"!!!) that makes it easy to see how work towards the answer. I am very friendly, supportive, and understanding -- and funny. And I have been involved in the arts my entire life, so if you happen to think that you can't relate to science or mathematics, I can help you learn how to do so.

Trigonometry

The word "Trigonometry" literally means "measuring triangles". But nowadays it's so much more! Even one semester of Trigonometry covers such a lot of material that it can be overwhelming. Starting with some very simple facts which even ancient civilizations knew, I'll show you how some very smart people over the years have added more and more detail, and some very clever ways of looking at things in a different way, to develop this powerful and much used mathematics. And I'll teach you an approach to "story" problems called the "top-down approach" (also called the "lazy approach"!!!) that makes it easy to see how work towards the answer. I am very friendly, supportive, and understanding -- and funny. And I have been involved in the arts my entire life, so if you happen to think that you can't relate to science or mathematics, I can help you learn how to do so.

Algebra 1

I have a BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley, where I also did Physics and Computer Science, and I've been tutoring since 1980 for all kinds of Math, Computer Science, and Physics subjects, at the high school and college level, including Algebra 1. I have hundreds of satisfied clients who have done well in their classes, tests, and even careers, with my help. I've also worked since 1991 as a writer, editor, and math accuracy checker on scores of math textbooks, including several Algebra textbooks for a dozen publishers. I'm a very supportive, patient, and encouraging tutor ... and *a very clear explainer*. (One of my students once suddenly asked "Are you over-simplifying this?" "No, why?" "Because I can understand it!") I can show you the common sense behind the math so that it will be not only much easier to understand but also unforgettable. I also have a side career in the arts, so I am very good for “non-math”, “non-science” people. If you think that you are not good at math, or don’t like it, I can help you discover that not only can you *do* it, but you can even *enjoy* it!

Algebra 2

I have a BA in Mathematics from the University of California in Berkeley, where I also did Physics and Computer Science. I have been tutoring since 1980 in all levels of Math, including Algebra 2. I have hundreds of satisfied students who have done well in their Algebra (and other) homework, tests, and classes, with my help.

Calculus

I have a BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley, where I also did Physics and Computer Science, and I've been tutoring since 1980 for all kinds of Math, Computer Science, and Physics subjects, at all levels — including Calculus. I have hundreds of satisfied clients who have done well in their classes, tests, and even careers, with my help. I've also worked since 1991 as a writer, editor, and math accuracy checker on scores of math textbooks, including many Calculus textbooks, for a dozen publishers. I have also worked as a computer programmer. Sir Isaac Newton invented calculus in order to explain why the Moon goes around the Earth and why the Earth goes around the Sun, and where a cannonball will land after it is fired. One of the main uses of Calculus is to explain how things *move*. And we have so much experience of movement in our own bodies (throwing things, jumping, etc.), that we often have a good intuition of what the answer to a problem should be, even before we do the Calculus! I'll use your intuition and experience to show you how the formulas and techniques in Calculus really describe things which we have already seen or felt. And Calculus is very visual. We can take a problem like describing the path of a rocket and change it into a picture (a graph), and use Calculus to study the picture to answer questions about the rocket. In the modern world, Calculus is also used for everything from biology to finance, so there are many, many things which Calculus explains ... and which make it easier to explain Calculus! I'll teach you an approach to "story" problems called the "top-down approach" (also called the "lazy approach"!!!) that makes it easy to see how work towards the answer. I am very friendly, supportive, and understanding -- and funny. And I have been involved in the arts my entire life, so if you happen to think that you can't relate to science or mathematics, I can help you learn how to do so.

Geometry

Geometry is about two very different things. It's about shapes -- triangles, rectangles, circles, etc., etc. And it's also about *proving* things. (How do we *know* that the Pythagorean Theorem is true? Can we *prove* it?) Learning how to do proofs in Geometry is a very good exercise for leaning how to be logical -- and prove things! -- in real life, too. I'll encourage you to do lots of doodling to learn the properties of the different shapes you'll study -- what it means to talk about their circumference, their area, their volume -- and how you can figure out the various formulas yourself, so that they make sense and you'll never forget them. I'll show you different methods of doing proofs (such as "working from both ends" and "counting the information") that make this tricky but very important subject much easier. And I'll teach you an approach to "story" problems called the "top-down approach" (also called the "lazy approach"!!!) that makes it easy to see how work towards the answer. I am very friendly, supportive, and understanding -- and funny. And I have been involved in the arts my entire life, so if you happen to think that you can't relate to science or mathematics, I can help you learn how to do so.

Precalculus

So you're about to do the groundwork for Calculus! Calculus itself is not quite as scary as many people think -- a lot of the concepts are easy to "feel" ... since they're about how physical objects move. But you'll do a *lot* of Algebra in a Calculus class ... maybe more than you do in any Algebra class! (Plus some trigonometry.) So it's good to be really familiar with algebra. That's what Precalculus is for. In Precalculus you'll be doing more advanced Algebra than you've done before. In particular, you'll be studying the idea of "functions". Functions are probably the single most important and most useful idea in all of mathematics. They're all about how one thing changes based on how another thing changes. There are all kinds of real-life examples (which I'll show you), which can be described by mathematics. Mostly we'll be studying the kinds of functions (or changes) which can be described with algebra equations. There's a lot of material in Precalculus, but I can show you how it all makes sense ... and you'll discover the fun in it!

Statistics

Statistics can be a very confusing subject. It's not the actual math which is hard; rather, it's the types of questions, and the types of answers! You'll see questions like "if the percentage in the sample who are voting for Mr Politician is 43%, you can be 95% certain that in the whole U.S. the percentage who are voting for him is how many percent, with how many percent error?" And, unlike in most mathematical subjects, you never say "the answer *is* so-and-so," you say "the answer is *probably* *around* so-and-so" ... but you are expected to be very precise about what "probably" means and what "around" means! When you look through a Statistics textbook, you may be frightened by what looks like hundreds of formulas. I'll show you how all that gobbledy-gook really makes sense ... common sense! I'll show you how all the formulas are just minor variations on a few basic formulas. And I'll teach you an approach to "story" problems called the "top-down approach" (also called the "lazy approach"!!!) that makes it easy to see how work towards the answer. I am very friendly, supportive, and understanding -- and funny. And I have been involved in the arts my entire life, so if you happen to think that you can't relate to science or mathematics, I can help you learn how to do so.

Algebra 1

I have a BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley, where I also did Physics and Computer Science, and I've been tutoring since 1980 for all kinds of Math, Computer Science, and Physics subjects, at the high school and college level, including Algebra 1. I have hundreds of satisfied clients who have done well in their classes, tests, and even careers, with my help. I've also worked since 1991 as a writer, editor, and math accuracy checker on scores of math textbooks, including several Algebra textbooks for a dozen publishers. I'm a very supportive, patient, and encouraging tutor ... and *a very clear explainer*. (One of my students once suddenly asked "Are you over-simplifying this?" "No, why?" "Because I can understand it!") I can show you the common sense behind the math so that it will be not only much easier to understand but also unforgettable. I also have a side career in the arts, so I am very good for “non-math”, “non-science” people. If you think that you are not good at math, or don’t like it, I can help you discover that not only can you *do* it, but you can even *enjoy* it!

Algebra 2

I have a BA in Mathematics from the University of California in Berkeley, where I also did Physics and Computer Science. I have been tutoring since 1980 in all levels of Math, including Algebra 2. I have hundreds of satisfied students who have done well in their Algebra (and other) homework, tests, and classes, with my help.

Calculus

I have a BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley, where I also did Physics and Computer Science, and I've been tutoring since 1980 for all kinds of Math, Computer Science, and Physics subjects, at all levels — including Calculus. I have hundreds of satisfied clients who have done well in their classes, tests, and even careers, with my help. I've also worked since 1991 as a writer, editor, and math accuracy checker on scores of math textbooks, including many Calculus textbooks, for a dozen publishers. I have also worked as a computer programmer. Sir Isaac Newton invented calculus in order to explain why the Moon goes around the Earth and why the Earth goes around the Sun, and where a cannonball will land after it is fired. One of the main uses of Calculus is to explain how things *move*. And we have so much experience of movement in our own bodies (throwing things, jumping, etc.), that we often have a good intuition of what the answer to a problem should be, even before we do the Calculus! I'll use your intuition and experience to show you how the formulas and techniques in Calculus really describe things which we have already seen or felt. And Calculus is very visual. We can take a problem like describing the path of a rocket and change it into a picture (a graph), and use Calculus to study the picture to answer questions about the rocket. In the modern world, Calculus is also used for everything from biology to finance, so there are many, many things which Calculus explains ... and which make it easier to explain Calculus! I'll teach you an approach to "story" problems called the "top-down approach" (also called the "lazy approach"!!!) that makes it easy to see how work towards the answer. I am very friendly, supportive, and understanding -- and funny. And I have been involved in the arts my entire life, so if you happen to think that you can't relate to science or mathematics, I can help you learn how to do so.

Geometry

Geometry is about two very different things. It's about shapes -- triangles, rectangles, circles, etc., etc. And it's also about *proving* things. (How do we *know* that the Pythagorean Theorem is true? Can we *prove* it?) Learning how to do proofs in Geometry is a very good exercise for leaning how to be logical -- and prove things! -- in real life, too. I'll encourage you to do lots of doodling to learn the properties of the different shapes you'll study -- what it means to talk about their circumference, their area, their volume -- and how you can figure out the various formulas yourself, so that they make sense and you'll never forget them. I'll show you different methods of doing proofs (such as "working from both ends" and "counting the information") that make this tricky but very important subject much easier. And I'll teach you an approach to "story" problems called the "top-down approach" (also called the "lazy approach"!!!) that makes it easy to see how work towards the answer. I am very friendly, supportive, and understanding -- and funny. And I have been involved in the arts my entire life, so if you happen to think that you can't relate to science or mathematics, I can help you learn how to do so.

Statistics

Statistics can be a very confusing subject. It's not the actual math which is hard; rather, it's the types of questions, and the types of answers! You'll see questions like "if the percentage in the sample who are voting for Mr Politician is 43%, you can be 95% certain that in the whole U.S. the percentage who are voting for him is how many percent, with how many percent error?" And, unlike in most mathematical subjects, you never say "the answer *is* so-and-so," you say "the answer is *probably* *around* so-and-so" ... but you are expected to be very precise about what "probably" means and what "around" means! When you look through a Statistics textbook, you may be frightened by what looks like hundreds of formulas. I'll show you how all that gobbledy-gook really makes sense ... common sense! I'll show you how all the formulas are just minor variations on a few basic formulas. And I'll teach you an approach to "story" problems called the "top-down approach" (also called the "lazy approach"!!!) that makes it easy to see how work towards the answer. I am very friendly, supportive, and understanding -- and funny. And I have been involved in the arts my entire life, so if you happen to think that you can't relate to science or mathematics, I can help you learn how to do so.