The skills needed to be productive in todays IT workplace, especially problem-solving skills, are best developed through first having a strong foundation in mathematics. Many, if not all, IT troubleshooting and design skills are ultimately dependent on these analytical skills. Training for an IT career realistically begins with mathematics the more advanced, the better. Tim Maxwell, U.S. Training Program Manager, Infrastructure Solutions, Global Training Team, Perot Systems (Maxwell, 2008)

For this weeks discussion, consider the following: Units of measurement are used daily to maximize optimization efficiencies. Describe some of the common measurements and labels found in your chosen field. Consider some of the following questions in your discussion:

• What math skills, measurements, and performance will be used in your specialization area of IT?
• Discuss how quadratic equationsfor example, Parabolaare used in measuring extreme values.