AoPS PreAlgebra do I need Solution manual?

[ElizabethB]

Assume I can solve all the probems between myself and my husband. I am good at math up to calc/diff equations and he is crazy good at math, up to crazy high levels, non theoretical. Is there a reason to get the solutions manual?

 

I have not needed any help for solutions for Dolciani Pre-Algebra and Algebra with my daughter.  This will be for my son who is good at math.

Edited May 5, 2016 by ElizabethB

[SanDiegoMom]

I have taken math up through calc, and I had to use the solutions manual myself for a lot of the challenge problems. Some problems were crazy hard. My husband is awesome with most math and would have been able to solve them, but I'm the one at home and I would have hated to have had to wait til he got home to ask him to solve it - it would have frustrated my son and we probably would have missed a learning opportunity - he'd move on and not want to go back. Plus if you are checking all the work, would you really want to work out all the problems yourself to make sure he got the right answer? I love our manual!

[RoundAbout]

Yes!  I have a computer science degree and extensive college math and still find the solution manual useful.  Some of the star challenge problems can be tough!  I also find with my son that its helpful to have an authority to refer to when we disagree about how to solve a particular problem.  Also, it's just faster sometimes to use the solutions manual than solve everything myself.  

[zarabellesmom]

Even if you can solve them, sometimes their solution is so much more elegant that it's worth seeing. I've been amazed at how they approach certain problems and found myself thinking, "gee, why didn't I think of that?" Anyway, I too took math through calculus any my husband is a math wizard and while combined we've been able to solve them all (and sometimes the we is mostly a him) I agree with the previous poster. You'd never be able to convince me to part with my solutions manual. It's worth every penny.

[regentrude]

I have used the AoPS books starting with Intro to Algebra (so no experience with Prealgebra).

I have a PhD in theoretical physics and have taken plenty of higher math.

I am VERY glad I got the solution manuals. Some of the problems are really difficult, and sometimes I cannot spend the time to

puzzle out the very hard challenge problems. And sometimes it's just nice to be able to check my student's work on the exercises without having to work every single problem myself.

And sometimes the book has a more elegant solution I would not have though of.

So, yes, the solution manuals are very good to have, even for a parent with a strong math background.

Edited May 5, 2016 by regentrude

[basketcase]

Even if you can solve them, sometimes their solution is so much more elegant that it's worth seeing. I've been amazed at how they approach certain problems and found myself thinking, "gee, why didn't I think of that?" Anyway, I too took math through calculus any my husband is a math wizard and while combined we've been able to solve them all (and sometimes the we is mostly a him) I agree with the previous poster. You'd never be able to convince me to part with my solutions manual. It's worth every penny.

Yes! Totally agree that it's worth it to see their solutions.

[Kathleen.]

Yes. Sometimes they solve a problem differently and it helps to show how there's more than one way to do it.

[MrSmith]

Yes get the answers. I'm sure you have better things to do than spend 30 minutes on a problem only to have your kid say 'Are you sure??'

[Arcadia]

Yape. I need to save some brain cells and time for grading my kids sciences without a solution manual.

 

Hubby's math is all applied so he has trouble with proofs. I don't have the energy or desire to work every question out when the solutions manual is not pricy and I can use for both kids. I have the solutions manuals from prealgebra to precalc, have not bought calculus, and they are huge time savers.

[ElizabethB]

OK, the hive agrees and I am convinced, the solutions manual sounds worth it.

[Dmmetler]

Yes. The AoPS solution manuals are helpful here even when DD or I can solve the problem-because often they solve it a different way, and explain it. It is FAR more than the typical teacher's edition.

 

 

[SilverMoon]

Yes, yes you do. $12 is cheap as far as sanity savers go.

[Miss Tick]

OK, the hive agrees and I am convinced, the solutions manual sounds worth it.

Such a rarity!

 

ETA: a rarity that the Hive agrees with itself and expresses a unanimous opinion. I'm not at all surprised that they/we agree with YOU. Man, I hope that was how you read it!

Edited May 5, 2016 by SusanC

[zarabellesmom]

I was wondering if someone was going to pop in and say that they had the solution manual and never used it.  I was going to be all like :scared:

[Targhee]

Yes

[LucyStoner]

Two mathy parents here. Agreeing with all the others. Solutions manual is worth it even if parents have advanced college math under their belts.