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Ask HN: Where did you top out in math classes?

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Re: Ask HN: Where did you top out in math classes?

#21

Post by mnemonicsloth »

With one notable exception, math seems very easy to me. I open the book, write down verbatim anything labeled Definition, Theorem, or Lemma, and trace through anything labeled Proof. There's nothing particularly hard about it -- you just have to make sure you actually do every step listed inside your head.

It is a little slower than reading for pleasure, but with practice, I'd say only by about half.

I think the primary reason I do well, though, is that I take adderall for ADHD. Stimulants make it trivially easy to maintain the necessary level of focus, but whenever I forget to take them before a lecture or study session, I'm gnashing my teeth and tearing my hair out by the end.

Re: Ask HN: Where did you top out in math classes?

#22

Post by mnemonicsloth »

rw wrote: post #20

Set theory & mathematical logic. Learning math is all about spending time with the material. I find that upper-level math is easier than lower-level topics. Less grunt work, more pondering.

Foundations proofs are the worst. I can still remember proving something like "For every left-paren, there is a matching right-paren." Ugh.

Re: Ask HN: Where did you top out in math classes?

#24

Post by strlen »

My undergraduate degree is in Computer Science, which at the time I attended the university was (if one was doing their degree in the College of Arts and Sciences vs. School of Engineering) in the math department. In the end I ended up going further than I would have naturally (just by the nature of department requirements).

First response to this question would be "what kind of math"? In terms of continuous math, I've topped out at Differential Equations (much like any other CS Major). In terms of discrete mathematics I topped out at abstract algebra (the first class that made me sigh with relief upon seeing actual numbers) and combinatorics. I felt that I could certainly go on further in the discrete field (I particularly regret not taking number theory - other than what I've learned in cryptography courses - and graph theory).

I could have received a Math major, but that would have required taking the analysis series (real and complex), which I felt would go beyond my level of abilities (particularly since I was aiming for an early graduation and wanted to take as much of classes that I felt would interest me more).

Re: Ask HN: Where did you top out in math classes?

#25

Post by ekzept »

there's learning on an academic track timeframe, and there's learning. there are lots of courses i took which i did not do well gradewise, but i learned a lot, enough to go back and re-learn the material at my own pace and better.

ultimately, all learning is self-taught.

Re: Ask HN: Where did you top out in math classes?

#26

Post by plinkplonk »

rtf wrote: post #12

I don't know, how about every subject? Multiplication. Long division. Algebra. Geometry. Trig. Calc. I was never very motivated to study math. The problem was, my older brother was very into it(and now is a math grad student, ever-so-slowly getting his thesis together). This set a model that I could not hope to emulate, but it only meant my mom pushed me more, talked to the school to get me into the advanced/accelera…

"The former Soviet educational system, OTOH, had probably some of the strongest math education, and much of it has been translated to English - pick up a book from that period and you will probably see a small and dense text that introduces high-level concepts in great, if unforgiving, detail. Very different from the thick drill+practice textbooks I'm used to."

Could you provide a url for some of these? Should I look up any specific publishers? Thanks in advance!

Re: Ask HN: Where did you top out in math classes?

#27

Post by rms »

rms wrote: post #9

Calculus III... I think I could have got it, but it's tough material and I had a terrible professor, so I didn't really learn any Calculus III. I passed and did much better in my final math course, a one semester differential equations/linear algebra hybrid course.

Also, my first semester I took one class of "Honors" calculus which was a proof based differential+integral Calc course. I dropped that really fast in favor of Calc II. So I also hit a wall at proof based calculus. Most of the people who actually took the class didn't get it either and resorted to memorizing all the proofs needed to derive calculus.

Re: Ask HN: Where did you top out in math classes?

#30

Post by manvsmachine »

g00dn3ss wrote: post #6

Recent evidence tends to indicate that 'not smart enough' is probably a myth. Almost everything can be attributed to exposure and effort at some point rather than some innate smartness. A lot of advanced math takes some serious concentration to understand. For some non-practical aspects, I found that I lacked the motivation rather than ability to understand it . One particular class where I seemed to hit my tolerance…

Haven't gotten to that point yet, but I can definitely attest to the significance of good materials and enthusiastic teaching. Because I started out as a engineering major, I had taken the entire Calc sequence up through Diff. Eq's, but I ended up having to take Prob/Stats and Discrete when I Switched to CS. I was sick of taking math classes at that time, but my Discrete prof was awesome and motivated me to see how far I could go with it. I went into fall semester never wanting to take another math class again; now I'm taking more so I can get a minor in it. I'll be taking combinatorics in the fall and topology(?) the following spring to close it out.
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