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How I'm able to take notes in mathematics lectures using LaTeX and Vim

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Re: How I'm able to take notes in mathematics lectures using LaTeX and Vim

#201

Post by ordu »

adrianrocamora wrote: post #194
ordu wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People are different, the processes in their minds goes different ways. People develops different styles of learning and then they adopt to that styles and adopt styles for themselves. So it is pointless to agree or disagree. I personally like this idea of vim+LaTeX. It is close to what I did while studying math, though I write notes down with pen and paper. Mostly I wrote down them once and read them once before exa…

I agree that Greek might not be the best for people with a different linguistic background. By the way, did you mean Galois Theory? If it's OK to ask, what other languages do you speak mainly besides English?

Yes, I meant Galois Theory. I speak russian, and 'Galua' just letter-per-letter transcription from russian spelling.

Re: How I'm able to take notes in mathematics lectures using LaTeX and Vim

#202

Post by xyzzyz »

marttt wrote: post #82
txcwpalpha wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> mechanical task of taking notes rather than actually absorbing and engaging with the content The mechanical task of taking notes is one of the most important parts of actually absorbing the material. It is not an either-or. Hearing/seeing the information, processing it in a way that makes sense to you individually, and then mechanically writing it down in a legible manner is one of the main methods that your brain…

I wonder if traditional memory techniques (e.g. method of loci [1]) would have long-term benefits over taking notes by hand? According to this highly interesting HN thread, Alan Kay apparently doesn't take (much) notes [2]. I also found Warren Buffett's tip to focus on information that "doesn't expire or expires very slowly" an excellent rule of thumb for daily life. Obviously, with decades of books under their belts…

I wonder if traditional memory techniques (e.g. method of loci [1]) would have long-term benefits over taking notes by hand?

Mathematics already is a sort of hierarchical interconnected structure that allow you to easily remember everything, as long as you understand it. The understanding is the hard part, not remembering it. Mathematics is not a set of random facts that you have to memorize.

Re: How I'm able to take notes in mathematics lectures using LaTeX and Vim

#203

Post by quarkral »

txcwpalpha wrote: post #24
kinkrtyavimoodh wrote: post #7

As a feat in itself this is definitely very impressive, but I wonder if it's really worth anyone's time to spend precious lecture time with your mind fully occupied in the mechanical task of taking notes rather than actually absorbing and engaging with the content. Especially for an extremely content-dense subject like Mathematics, where you need all your concentration just to process what you are reading and follow…

> mechanical task of taking notes rather than actually absorbing and engaging with the content The mechanical task of taking notes is one of the most important parts of actually absorbing the material. It is not an either-or. Hearing/seeing the information, processing it in a way that makes sense to you individually, and then mechanically writing it down in a legible manner is one of the main methods that your brain…

I definitely agree with this for mathematical notes. Writing LaTeX is so mechanically different from writing down actual mathematical expressions and proofs that I feel like it distracts more than it helps me absorb.

On the other hand for something like a psychology class where the material is mostly in English prose, then I feel like typing does help. Typing English is not so mechanically different than writing down English since each letter is still in a one-to-one correspondence.

Re: How I'm able to take notes in mathematics lectures using LaTeX and Vim

#204

Post by meko »

setquk wrote: post #65

I don't agree with this. Perhaps it's possible for someone with exceptional LaTeX and vim knowledge, but even after using both for 20 years I wouldn't do this. The point of the lecture is to assimilate structure and basic understanding, not to produce a neat set of notes instantly. To take notes to this detail means you're putting more time into the note taking than the work. Use a pen and paper. Write down structure…

I did live TeXing for about a year, after only having ~a year of emacs and latex use. It's not as hard as it sounds but yes like you mention, it takes your head out of the lecture and into your editor. However, the idea of 'rewrite your notes at the end of the day', who has the time for that though?

Re: How I'm able to take notes in mathematics lectures using LaTeX and Vim

#205

Post by writepub »

kodz4 wrote: post #48
writepub wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lucky indeed. Who hasn't dreamt of being a stenographer for Math lectures in grad school, using the hardest tools for the job, including the most obscure window manager known to Linux. I mean, if one don't kill a week getting bspm to work on their laptop, is lecture note taking even worth it?

You don't need to demean the effort of anyone to put focus on how to do something better.

I'm not demeaning anyone. Sometimes, we can all look at the things we deify, including obscurity and complexity, and laugh a bit at ourselves. Tell me with a straight face that this article isn't quintessential fodder for the show "Silicon Valley".

I fully agree with your parent comment that this article is a demonstration of multiple positive traits of the author, I respect him/her a lot. But also, I cannot help but laugh a bit at myself and the others who up-voted the article. That in no way diminishes my respect for anybody, including the author.

FYI - I've relied on LaTex for submitting to multiple peer reviewed journals, my thesis and my thesis defense presentation (LaTex Beamer), so I fully understand and appreciate the skill level of the author here

Cheers!

Re: How I'm able to take notes in mathematics lectures using LaTeX and Vim

#206

Post by jki275 »

asimilator wrote: post #196
jki275 wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot. Laptops are generally disruptive to the entire class, and (anecdotally, but I’ve done a lot of higher learning) almost all of their use is not for note taking or anything related to the class. So why not ban them? Many professors do.

So when you get to the real world and everyone in the meeting is on their laptop? ...

Doesn't work that way in a lot of the real world.

Re: How I'm able to take notes in mathematics lectures using LaTeX and Vim

#207

Post by war1025 »

I always found that my notes were effectively write-only.

The process of writing things down on paper helped me absorb the information, but beyond that I never really looked back at the notes.

Generally I could find the information I needed in a better form somewhere else. If anything, the notes mainly helped me review broadly which topics were covered on which days.

For math specifically, I always found that what helped me most was to come up with a general "shape" of how I used the paper when solving a problem of a particular type. Then I would end up with a visual that helped me know which bits of information I was missing and what I needed to do where to find the answer.

It's different from the "draw a picture" thing, really more of a knolling[1] of the problem down on paper. If all the things are in their places, then the answer to the problem is straight-forward to come up with.

Edit:

Mise en place [2] might also be a good way to describe it.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Sachs_(artist)#Knolling

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise_en_place

Re: How I'm able to take notes in mathematics lectures using LaTeX and Vim

#208

Post by oarabbus_ »

ordu wrote: post #137
setquk wrote: post #65

I don't agree with this. Perhaps it's possible for someone with exceptional LaTeX and vim knowledge, but even after using both for 20 years I wouldn't do this. The point of the lecture is to assimilate structure and basic understanding, not to produce a neat set of notes instantly. To take notes to this detail means you're putting more time into the note taking than the work. Use a pen and paper. Write down structure…

People are different, the processes in their minds goes different ways. People develops different styles of learning and then they adopt to that styles and adopt styles for themselves. So it is pointless to agree or disagree. I personally like this idea of vim+LaTeX. It is close to what I did while studying math, though I write notes down with pen and paper. Mostly I wrote down them once and read them once before exa…

Research shows handwritten notes to generally be far superior to typed notes for memory and retention

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-learning-secret...

So while there are certainly some people who are better with digital notes it is absolutely not " pointless to agree or disagree."

Re: How I'm able to take notes in mathematics lectures using LaTeX and Vim

#209

Post by adrianrocamora »

ordu wrote: post #201
adrianrocamora wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that Greek might not be the best for people with a different linguistic background. By the way, did you mean Galois Theory? If it's OK to ask, what other languages do you speak mainly besides English?

Yes, I meant Galois Theory. I speak russian, and 'Galua' just letter-per-letter transcription from russian spelling.

Ah, cool. Funny thing, in Chinese Einstein uses the character for "love" [ai] also because it's a phonetic approximation.
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