Learning how to use a calculator by reading its manual and punching buttons is boring and inefficient. It is better to do challenging tasks that require knowledge of a calculator's features together with some ingenuity, even if such tasks are not directed to any worthy goal.
Task.
Create randomly (with uniform distribution) a list of 100 numbers between 1 and 2. Find the largest number on the list that is smaller than √2, and the smallest number that is bigger than √2.
Hint: Do not look at the list!
A solution (the specific numbers will vary; the ones below came from an actual run).
rand(100)+1→L1 creates a list of 100
random numbers between 1 and 2 and stores them in
list L1. rand is
under MATH and PRB.
{1.295661863 1 ...
| sum(L1<√(2)) | counts the number of items < √(2); sum is under 2nd LIST MATH 5:sum. < is under TEST. | |
| 40 | ||
| SortA(L1) | sorts the list in ascending order; under 2nd LIST OPS 1:SortA( | |
| Done | ||
| L1 (40) | 40th element of the list; | |
| 1.401465004 | ||
| L1 (41) | next element of the list; | |
| 1.415903921 | ||
| √(2) | approximation of irrational number √(2). | |
| 1.414213562 |