Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#151

Post by dontbenebby » Mon, May 30, 2022, 2:47 AM UTC

elliekelly wrote: post #64

I've done this and would echo the good advice you've already gotten about Khan Academy but I think the comments in this thread are skipping over the most important part: pace. Work slowly. Don't move on until you really "get" the concept you're working with. Some topics might "click" right away and others might take weeks of bashing your head against the wall until your brain makes sense of it. That's okay. It can de…

Khan has problem sets right? That was always my issue, that and math "teachers" who'd just offer to reread the textbook or point to the index and smirk.

But don't feel bad if you struggle, it's really hard to learn math concepts without an incentive. I'd just pick up a book on python and learn algerbra and a few other things along the way.

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#152

Post by guerrilla » Mon, May 30, 2022, 3:20 AM UTC

wonnage wrote: post #128

Viliam1234 wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> From a scientific perspective, this is absolutely the wrong advice. Those are unnecessarily harsh words. You and elliekelly are not contradicting each other, but talking about different things. If you didn't understand chapters 1 and 2 from a textbook, reading chapter 3 from the same book is usually a BAD idea. Sadly, this is what formal education often tells you to do, because it follows a predetermined schedule.…

I personally have always had a hard time inhaling chapters of a textbook sequentially. It’s often easier to skim it first, attempt the problem set, and then go back when you get stuck. Forces you into a more active mode of looking for particular information instead of just trying to absorb everything. The same works for the humanities too, once my attention starts waning I’ll start skimming and rewind when necessary.…

I believe this works because you're creating a demand in yourself for the information. I suspect it's something like natural selection: you will remember and understand what you "need to" in order to cope with the environment you're in and for studying you should create such an environment for yourself. The more problems and advanced texts that you supplement your readinv with, the more demand there is for the more basic information you're trying to retain.

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#153

Post by jp0d » Mon, May 30, 2022, 3:25 AM UTC

TheOtherHobbes wrote: post #90

jp0d wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mate, you've no idea how much I could related to your story. I've a bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering. Looking back at those subjects, I feel like I didn't have the maturity needed to appreciate the depth and meaning of it. I was too busy just passing exams and working to get a degree and eventually land a job. I did that and I have no regrets. But those concepts taught to us are the foundations of almost eve…

Yes - imagine inventing Fast Fourier Transforms without a computer. Or the original continuous Fourier Transform, with just a pen and paper. Or Heaviside's simplification of the Maxwell equations. Or calculating planetary orbits with perturbations. Incredible leaps of imagination.

True indeed. I was patting myself on the back for graduating engineering school without any help from WikiPedia or YouTube. But these legends wrote all those universe describing equations without the help of a computer.

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#154

Post by DantesKite » Mon, May 30, 2022, 4:04 AM UTC

astrange wrote: post #145

DantesKite wrote: post #6

I always recommend courses on Udemy, Coursera, etc. Anywhere you have to pay for the knowledge. The money seems to be an important filter for quality. Not always, and there are certainly exceptions, but in my experience, it's highly predictive of useful knowledge.

This is subject to Goodhart’s Law. I’m not sure how to avoid that except by deleting this comment so nobody knows what measure you use.

I don't think it is, because I'm talking about a marketplace where goods and services can be exchanged for a price as being a filter for quality; otherwise known as capitalism.

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#155

Post by astrange » Mon, May 30, 2022, 4:16 AM UTC

DantesKite wrote: post #154

astrange wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is subject to Goodhart’s Law. I’m not sure how to avoid that except by deleting this comment so nobody knows what measure you use.

I don't think it is, because I'm talking about a marketplace where goods and services can be exchanged for a price as being a filter for quality; otherwise known as capitalism.

If you assume price=quality and therefore always buy the most expensive one, you’re not participating in price discovery and they can just raise it, producing Veblen goods.

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#156

Post by SilentM68 » Mon, May 30, 2022, 4:23 AM UTC

I have a similar problem but I am a bit older than 26 years old by 2. I took math in community college upto Trig and Technical Math for Electronics which included Determinants and Matrices. Did not help at all with finding an electronics job as only theory was taught. Fast forward to present and lo and behold, Linear Algebra, Determinants and Matrices are where it's at. Now I'm also looking for a solution to the forgot my math problem issue, but now I'm working full time and well my learning environment is noisy.

Were I to be given another shot at learning math knowing what I know now, I would have first found a way to learn learn Vedic Mathematics so that I don't have to waste so much brain cells on intermediate steps when solving math problems and second, I would have concentrated on learning Technical Mathematics with Calculus and Linear Algebra since those concepts, particularly Linear Algebra, are directly applicable to Machine Learning and possibly Quantum Computing, from what I've read but don't quote me on that last point.

Would it not be great if somebody were to design a game that would teach you all the concepts of ML Math, and ML without the victim, er learner, knowing that such knowledge was the goal of the game at least towards the beginning?

Hard probem I know as it requires a totally different way of thinking about math and science in general. I mean, who ever heard of math being fun? ಠ_ಠ

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#157

Post by throwaway81523 » Mon, May 30, 2022, 4:47 AM UTC

What do you mean by starting from 0? Are you literally at the 2+2=idunno level? Understand some basic algebra and calculus? Or where? I think in any case there is no substitute for working through textbooks and writing out a lot of exercises. Grasping concepts is only part of it. Like a CNN in machine learning, you actually have to "train" and not just "learn".

If there are particular subjects you want to get up to speed with (basic probability might be a good place to start), this thread can probably suggest resources, and it might help to work with a tutor.

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#158

Post by ngcc_hk » Mon, May 30, 2022, 6:18 AM UTC

pseudostem wrote: post #36

I'm in my 40s and I started a machine learning degree in Nov 2020, so it's been about 1.5 years for me till now. I am a slow learner and my recommendations may reflect the same. 1) Maths (precalculus and calculus) - I started with Khan Academy 10th grade onwards. I finished till grade 12 in a week. By this time I had gone through content elsewhere, so 1 week may (not) be enough. Regardless, Khan Academy app comes hig…

3blue1brown … that is it, one if the gem of internet. So wish I have that when I am young.

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#159

Post by triyambakam » Mon, May 30, 2022, 7:34 AM UTC

misterpurple45 wrote: post #62

I’m in a very similar position. I didn’t go to uni and somehow found myself in a programming career. In a few weeks I’ll be sitting A-level (UK advanced high school) Mathematics exams for the same reasons as you. I’m 32 years old. I’ve found having formal exams to study for very motivating, and humbling. I thought I knew things I’d read in books, but it turns out I just recognised them when I came across the same top…

I don't understand, why are you taking high school exams? Is it entry requirements for university?

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#160

Post by rg111 » Mon, May 30, 2022, 8:00 AM UTC

freedomben wrote: post #143

Perez418 wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would love to chat sometime if you’re available. I’ve been teaching middle school math for the past 6 years. I’m now trying to transition into tech.

What do you want to do in tech? You want to do software development (like building apps, websites, etc) or something else? I pivoted into software after starting somewhere different and happy to give advice.

@Perez418, this person can give you better advice than I.

I have been in a tech since the last year of college.

This person has more relatable career trajectory as yours.