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Marvelous Arithmetics of Distance

mathenchant.wordpress.com

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Re: Marvelous Arithmetics of Distance

#3

I must have missed p-adics in school. This was a fun, interesting, and clear read.

They are typically not taught in school, at least in the US but probably elsewhere too. I don’t even know of a commonly taken undergrad-level course that I’d expect to cover them.

Re: Marvelous Arithmetics of Distance

#4
there must be a rule that bans using “marvelous, magic, mysterious, never seen before, miraculous, genius, shocking …” words used in math posts. There’s nothing marvelous about any of this—it’s just math. Imo it’s better to let people face math head on than try to sugar coat it and click bait them into liking math.

Re: Marvelous Arithmetics of Distance

#5
post #4

there must be a rule that bans using “marvelous, magic, mysterious, never seen before, miraculous, genius, shocking …” words used in math posts. There’s nothing marvelous about any of this—it’s just math. Imo it’s better to let people face math head on than try to sugar coat it and click bait them into liking math.

I will continue to marvel at it, though.

Re: Marvelous Arithmetics of Distance

#6
post #4

there must be a rule that bans using “marvelous, magic, mysterious, never seen before, miraculous, genius, shocking …” words used in math posts. There’s nothing marvelous about any of this—it’s just math. Imo it’s better to let people face math head on than try to sugar coat it and click bait them into liking math.

> just math

I don't know what this is supposed to convey. Modern mathematics is one of the most amazing, marvelous, beautiful etc. achievements of the mind. I wish more people could appreciate that.

Re: Marvelous Arithmetics of Distance

#8
post #4

there must be a rule that bans using “marvelous, magic, mysterious, never seen before, miraculous, genius, shocking …” words used in math posts. There’s nothing marvelous about any of this—it’s just math. Imo it’s better to let people face math head on than try to sugar coat it and click bait them into liking math.

The marvel of Math is in its non-obviousness. Obvious truths are not marvelous but non-obvious ones are.

"Magic" is also a word we can use about Math because we know no true magic exists. Therefore when something is said to be "magic" we know it means something "looks like magic".

For the Magician (/Mathematician) it of course doesn't look like magic because they clearly understand and see how it works.

So, you are perhaps the Mathematician/Magician for whom it doesn't look like magic but for the rest of many of us it does. We are even willing to pay for the ticket to see magicians perform their "magic" and to marvel at it.

Re: Marvelous Arithmetics of Distance

#9
post #4

there must be a rule that bans using “marvelous, magic, mysterious, never seen before, miraculous, genius, shocking …” words used in math posts. There’s nothing marvelous about any of this—it’s just math. Imo it’s better to let people face math head on than try to sugar coat it and click bait them into liking math.

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