21–26 of 26 posts
From the article: "Here’s a simple yet revealing question to ask people at all levels of mathematical attainment: 'The answer is 10. What is the question?'" I know I'd love to hear HN's answers.
Here's one: How do you express the number of digits that exist in any given base, in that base?
For all values of n=pi?
I like this a lot, it seems like a classic example of divergent thinking, in a subject (math) that doesn't traditionally involve a lot of it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divergent_thinking
> divergent thinking, in a subject (math) that doesn't traditionally involve a lot of it. I strongly disagree with that. Divergent thinking as well as creativity is very important in mathematics and has always been. Solving problems - this is what mathematics is all about. So creativity is vital, and more important in math than in many other professions that call themselves "creative". It is a common misconception th…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> divergent thinking, in a subject (math) that doesn't traditionally involve a lot of it. I strongly disagree with that. Divergent thinking as well as creativity is very important in mathematics and has always been. Solving problems - this is what mathematics is all about. So creativity is vital, and more important in math than in many other professions that call themselves "creative". It is a common misconception th…
I think the author of the post was talking about middle and high school students, who don't really see proofs. (I don't think triangle proofs in Geometry class count) My high school math felt mostly mechanical, and involved nothing like the kind of activity the author wrote about.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> divergent thinking, in a subject (math) that doesn't traditionally involve a lot of it. I strongly disagree with that. Divergent thinking as well as creativity is very important in mathematics and has always been. Solving problems - this is what mathematics is all about. So creativity is vital, and more important in math than in many other professions that call themselves "creative". It is a common misconception th…
I think the author of the post was talking about middle and high school students, who don't really see proofs. (I don't think triangle proofs in Geometry class count) My high school math felt mostly mechanical, and involved nothing like the kind of activity the author wrote about.