Habits of highly mathematical people • Hacker News Board

Re: Habits of highly mathematical people

#11

Post by vanderZwan » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 2:15 PM UTC

maroonblazer wrote: post #7

Couldn't this also be titled "Habits of high rational people", with mathematics simply being one application? I'm not a mathematician and was miserable at math in school, but I apply these habits in the business world every day. They help me cut through a lot of crap that comes from other people's sloppy/lazy thinking. >Anyone who has gone through an undergraduate math education has known a person (or been that perso…

> I'm not a mathematician and was miserable at math in school

Maths in school is not really like the maths that mathematicians do.

Re: Habits of highly mathematical people

#12

Post by d33 » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 2:17 PM UTC

javier2 wrote: post #5

7. Being precise. The precision you hold yourself to through a rigorous approach to a problem is also very valuable and is the reason I think calculus is very important.

I would argue that it sometimes gets in the way of the social life. Being able to stay very precise and keep in touch at the same time might be challenging for some.

Though, perhaps it's the other way and the overly precise (Asperger's syndrome?) people become mathematicians as opposed to them developing the precision?

Re: Habits of highly mathematical people

#13

Post by coliveira » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 2:21 PM UTC

vanderZwan wrote: post #11

maroonblazer wrote: post #7

Couldn't this also be titled "Habits of high rational people", with mathematics simply being one application? I'm not a mathematician and was miserable at math in school, but I apply these habits in the business world every day. They help me cut through a lot of crap that comes from other people's sloppy/lazy thinking. >Anyone who has gone through an undergraduate math education has known a person (or been that perso…

> I'm not a mathematician and was miserable at math in school Maths in school is not really like the maths that mathematicians do.

True, but if you're not good at school math, I believe there is little hope you can be good at the style of math that mathematicians do...

Re: Habits of highly mathematical people

#14

Post by mrcactu5 » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 2:25 PM UTC

#6 scaling the ladder of abstraction

This is one I have a tough time explaining to students who are so focused on the task at hand they don't feel there's time to sit back and reason in generality.

Re: Habits of highly mathematical people

#15

Post by mathgeek » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 2:29 PM UTC

dev1n wrote: post #4

geertj wrote: post #2

Only six habits, I would have hoped for a seventh one :)

Isn't there an old quip about how poor mathematicians are at arithmetic? ;)

I don't recall. How are poor mathematicians at arithmetic? ;)

Re: Habits of highly mathematical people

#16

Post by haasn » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 2:33 PM UTC

Just reading those 6 bullet points reminds me very, very strongly of the kind of discussions I have with my friends (all of whom are CS students).

Re: Habits of highly mathematical people

#17

Post by d33 » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 2:36 PM UTC

coliveira wrote: post #13

vanderZwan wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm not a mathematician and was miserable at math in school Maths in school is not really like the maths that mathematicians do.

True, but if you're not good at school math, I believe there is little hope you can be good at the style of math that mathematicians do...

I'm not sure about this one. I studied CS and was kinda forced to learn university-level maths and I found that it differs both on the pedagogical level (different ways to motivate students, I preferred the ones in the university) and on the logical level, when for the first time in my life I was actually EXPLAINED the terms we operated on.

University maths is much more logical than the school voodoo I had.

Re: Habits of highly mathematical people

#18

Post by raldu » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 2:37 PM UTC

maroonblazer wrote: post #7

Couldn't this also be titled "Habits of high rational people", with mathematics simply being one application? I'm not a mathematician and was miserable at math in school, but I apply these habits in the business world every day. They help me cut through a lot of crap that comes from other people's sloppy/lazy thinking. >Anyone who has gone through an undergraduate math education has known a person (or been that perso…

Nice spot on. The described qualities would also apply to philosophers, logicians, etc.

I think a broader term would be, habits of highly "analytical" people.

Re: Habits of highly mathematical people

#19

Post by gonzo41 » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 2:53 PM UTC

d33 wrote: post #12

javier2 wrote: post #5

7. Being precise. The precision you hold yourself to through a rigorous approach to a problem is also very valuable and is the reason I think calculus is very important.

I would argue that it sometimes gets in the way of the social life. Being able to stay very precise and keep in touch at the same time might be challenging for some. Though, perhaps it's the other way and the overly precise (Asperger's syndrome?) people become mathematicians as opposed to them developing the precision?

I would also like to agree that precision can sometimes get in the way when confronted with so little of it in places of work or home.

I Live in a hundred year old home, have never seen a 90 degree angle on any of the walls and everything is a little off. Growing up learning fine wood working. My house has provided so many confounding moments.

Re: Habits of highly mathematical people

#20

Post by wbl » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 2:55 PM UTC

d33 wrote: post #12

javier2 wrote: post #5

7. Being precise. The precision you hold yourself to through a rigorous approach to a problem is also very valuable and is the reason I think calculus is very important.

I would argue that it sometimes gets in the way of the social life. Being able to stay very precise and keep in touch at the same time might be challenging for some. Though, perhaps it's the other way and the overly precise (Asperger's syndrome?) people become mathematicians as opposed to them developing the precision?

Not all mathematicans are on the spectrum. When they have done studies the elevation in AQ is about 2 points, from mean 17 in population to 19. Autism starts at around 23 if I remember correctly.