4.3BSD - /usr/man/cat6/arithmetic.0

ARITHMETIC(6)                                                    ARITHMETIC(6)


NAME
       arithmetic - provide drill in number facts

SYNOPSIS
       /usr/games/arithmetic [ +-x/ ] [ range ]

DESCRIPTION
       Arithmetic  types  out  simple  arithmetic  problems,  and waits for an
       answer to be typed in.   If  the  answer  is  correct,  it  types  back
       “Right!”,  and  a  new  problem.   If  the  answer is wrong, it replies
       “What?”, and waits for another answer.  After every twenty problems, it
       publishes statistics on correctness and the time required to answer.

       To quit the program, type an interrupt (delete).

       The first optional argument determines the kind of problem to be gener‐
       ated; +-x/ respectively cause  addition,  subtraction,  multiplication,
       and  division  problems to be generated.  One or more characters can be
       given; if more than one is given, the different types of problems  will
       be mixed in random order; default is +-.

       Range  is a decimal number; all addends, subtrahends, differences, mul‐
       tiplicands, divisors, and quotients will be less than or equal  to  the
       value of range.  Default range is 10.

       At  the  start,  all  numbers  less  than or equal to range are equally
       likely to appear.  If the respondent makes a mistake,  the  numbers  in
       the problem which was missed become more likely to reappear.

       As  a  matter of educational philosophy, the program will not give cor‐
       rect answers, since the learner should, in principle, be able to calcu‐
       late  them.   Thus the program is intended to provide drill for someone
       just past the first learning stage, not to teach number facts de  novo.
       For  almost  all users, the relevant statistic should be time per prob‐
       lem, not percent correct.


7th Edition                       May 6, 1986                    ARITHMETIC(6)