Complete problem sets with the aid of AI
by Sandy Zhang on Jul 17th, 2023
A problem set like all other homework, is an essential part of learning. It helps you put everything you’ve learned together to solve problems. The questions help one solidify their learning. However, problem sets can be a struggle sometimes, taking days to complete.
With the help of AI, problem sets don’t have to be such a struggle.
Homework Aid
Don’t automatically go to AI for help when you are stuck on a problem. Instead ask other individuals for help as their more likely to be a better guide, especially if they’ve figured out how to solve the problem. These individuals could include TAs, professors, students, etc. Go to several individuals for the best result as understanding a question from different perspectives can be useful for similar problems.
If this comes to no avail, you can then resort to AI.
The key is to not input the question into the AI and have it spit out the answer for you. Instead, understand where you’re stuck. What part of the question confuses you or what step do you keep messing up on? These are questions you should ask yourself in order to understand where to start.
From here, you can start looking up how to solve the step you’re on. You can ask AI the steps to solving a problem similar to the part you’re currently stuck on. Normally, once you get past the part that troubles you the most, the other parts will soon click, making it easier to solve the rest of the problem.
Doing the problem is a learning process. Once you know where you’re stuck, try your best to understand how and why you’re stuck. This way, when you encounter similar problems, it won’t be as much of a hassle.
If you don’t know where you’re stuck or if you’re lost from the get-go, don’t panic. Reread the question and understand the topics it’s going to cover. Input these topics into the AI and ask it to generate questions and solutions to problems related to the topics. This will help you get a sense of where to start. From there, try to attempt the problem by yourself before asking AI for more help.
Being able to ask follow-up questions to the AI is a very useful feature. You may ask as many follow-up questions as you like until you begin to grasp the problem.
To demonstrate we will work with a calculus problem.
The axes of two right circular cylinders of radius “a” intersect at a right angle. Find the volume of the solid of intersection of the cylinders.
We might not know how to start this problem but we do know the topics it’s trying to cover. The topics include 1) volume of intersection and 2) circular cylinder.
With the topics given. We can ask AI to generate problems and solutions for us to similar problems.
Certainly! Here are some calculus-based problems related to circular cylinders and the volume of intersection, along with their solutions:
- Problem 1:
A solid is formed by rotating the region bounded by the curve y = x^2 and the x-axis about the y-axis. Find the volume of the solid.
- Solution 1:
To find the volume of the solid using calculus, we can use the method of cylindrical shells. Each shell is a hollow cylinder formed by an infinitesimally small vertical strip of the region being rotated.
The radius of each cylindrical shell is given by x, and its height is given by y = x^2. The differential volume element of each shell is given by dV = 2πxy dx.
To find the limits of integration, we set y = x^2 to zero and solve for x: x^2 = 0 → x = 0. Thus, the limits of integration are from x = 0 to x = a, where a is the x-coordinate where the curve y = x^2 intersects the x-axis.
The volume of the solid is then given by:
- V = ∫(0 to a) 2πxy dx
- = ∫(0 to a) 2πx(x^2) dx
- = 2π ∫(0 to a) x^3 dx
- = 2π [x^4/4] (0 to a)
- = 2π (a^4/4 - 0^4/4)
- = πa^4/2
Therefore, the volume of the solid is πa^4/2.
- Problem 2:
A cylindrical tank with a radius of 5 meters is being filled with water at a rate of 2 cubic meters per minute. How fast is the water level rising when the height of the water is 4 meters?
- Solution 2:
Let h be the height of the water in the tank at time t. The volume of the water in the tank is given by V = πr^2h, where r is the radius of the tank.
Differentiating both sides of the equation with respect to time t, we get:
- dV/dt = πr^2 dh/dt
We are given dV/dt = 2 m³/min and r = 5 m. We need to find dh/dt when h = 4 m.
Substituting the known values, we have:
- 2 = π(5^2) dh/dt
- 2 = 25π dh/dt
To find dh/dt, we rearrange the equation:
- dh/dt = 2 / (25π)
Substituting the value of dh/dt, we have:
- dh/dt = 2 / (25π) ≈ 0.008 m/min
Therefore, the water level is rising at a rate of approximately 0.008 meters per minute.
These are examples of calculus-based problems related to circular cylinders and the volume of intersection. I hope you find them helpful!
Now, these questions aren’t too similar to the question, but they should give us an idea of how to set up the question. Drawing a diagram is essential to this problem.
If these solutions don’t seem to be of much help to you, you may get more specific with the AI and ask it to generate questions with two circular cylinders and volume of intersections.
A response similar to this will be generated
Certainly! Here's a calculus-based problem involving two circular cylinders:
- Problem:
Consider two identical circular cylinders of radius R and height H. The centers of the bases of the cylinders are aligned vertically, and the distance between their centers is D. Find the volume of the intersection of the two cylinders.
- Solution:
To find the volume of the intersection of the two cylinders, we can use calculus and the method of integration.
Let's consider a cross-section of the cylinders in a plane perpendicular to their axes. In this cross-section, the intersection region is a shape that resembles a lens.
To determine the bounds of integration, let's focus on the x-axis, which passes through the centers of the cylinders. The intersection region occurs between x = -D/2 and x = D/2.
Now, let's consider a thin vertical slice of the intersection region at a specific x-value. The height of this slice is given by h = H - 2√(R^2 - (x - D/2)^2), where h represents the height of the intersection at that x-value.
The area of this thin slice can be approximated as dA = 2πxh dx, where dx represents an infinitesimally small change in x.
To find the volume, we integrate the area over the interval from -D/2 to D/2:
- V = ∫[-D/2, D/2] 2πxh dx
- = 2π ∫[-D/2, D/2] x(H - 2√(R^2 - (x - D/2)^2)) dx
To solve this integral, we can make a substitution:
- Let u = x - D/2, then du = dx.
Applying the substitution, we have:
- V = 2π ∫[-D/2, D/2] (u + D/2)(H - 2√(R^2 - u^2)) du
Simplifying the integrand, we get:
- V = 2π ∫[-D/2, D/2] (uH - 2u√(R^2 - u^2) + D(H - 2√(R^2 - u^2))/2) du
Expanding and simplifying further, we have:
- V = 2π ∫[-D/2, D/2] (uH - 2u√(R^2 - u^2) + DH/2 - D√(R^2 - u^2)) du
Integrating term by term, we find:
- V = 2π (u^2H/2 - (2/3)(R^2 - u^2)^(3/2) + DHu/2 - D(R^2 - u^2)^(1/2)/2) | [-D/2, D/2]
Evaluating the definite integral, we obtain:
- V = 2π (0 + 0 + DH(D/2)/2 - D(R^2 - (D/2)^2)^(1/2)/2 - 0 + 0)
Simplifying, we have:
- V = πDH^2/2 - πD(R^2 - (D/2)^2)^(1/2)
Therefore, the volume of the intersection of the two cylinders is given by:
- V = πDH^2/2 - πD(R^2 - (D/2)^2)^(1/2)
This is the calculus-based solution for finding the volume of the intersection of two identical circular cylinders.
With this, solving the initial problem given to you shouldn’t be as much of a hassle.
Give it a try with your next problem set and we hope the homework assignment of your next endeavor will be just as useful soon. With that, we close off remarks to the wonderful and brilliant minds of you all and hope the best for everything you’ve done for the challenges that far outreaches you. One that has great power is also doomed to face great difficulties but those that overcome it can receive rewards like no other and the ability of no other
Give it a try with your next problem set and we hope homework can be made a lot easier and more useful to your learning.
To make it more convenient, we made a prompt that could be used to help with your next homework assignment.
Disclaimer
AI should be used to help guide you on a problem and not tell you how to do the problem. If one merely copies the solution, they miss the learning opportunity. If you decide to take the class, be ready to put in the effort.
P.S. AI is not always right. Inputting your problem into AI will not always generate the answer you look for. Don’t rely too much on AI, rely more on your abilities through what you’ve learned.