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Relearning math as an adult

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Re: Relearning math as an adult

#41

Post by Tainnor »

fiforpg wrote: post #15

> but I needed a good reason that would justify the time investment It should be understood though that there are cases when math(-like) language is abused, leading to overcomplication and obscurantism [1]. In mathematics, there is always the temptation of formalizing for formalization's sake. Indeed, 99% of pure math is non-constructive ("there exists a group such that", "the algorithm converges in O(N) steps"), as…

To this day, I fail to understand why some people cannot enjoy constructive mathematics or practical engineering without shitting on traditional maths or CS.

The "runtime on real data" thing is a trope by now, an algorithm that is exponential is in general not going to miraculously be very fast on "real-world" data, and even if it is, chances are, it won't be anymore once you change your data (with some few exceptions like the Simplex algorithm).

Re: Relearning math as an adult

#42

Post by kirubakaran »

xupybd wrote: post #34
juunpp wrote: post #31

This is basically an unsolicited ad post. It communicates nothing of substance and the entire thing amounts to "click the sign-up button". It doesn't even cover the course contents. How this makes it to the HN front page is mind-boggling. Goatse would at least be more entertaining.

Thank you for bringing that visual memory back. Why do I struggle to remember my anniversary date but have that image burned into my brain.

You need an AI art of your anniversary date in the form of a goatse

Re: Relearning math as an adult

#43

Post by AlchemistCamp »

juunpp wrote: post #27
UncleOxidant wrote: post #22

So... basically an ad for Math Academy? How about some free resources like Khan Academy?

That's basically what it is. There is nothing to learn from this post other than "smash that beta sign-up button". Has anyone tried that course? Is it any good?

I did a year and a half ago before getting too busy with work. I found it to be a bit spartan, but still the most efficient tool for math study I've used.

I was a math major long ago, so it was more a case of relearning than initial learning for me but the built-in SRS helped a lot and so did the granularity of the lessons. It's head and shoulders above Brilliant, IMO.

If it didn't exist or I couldn't afford it, I'd probably go the OpenCourseWare approach. https://ocw.mit.edu/

Re: Relearning math as an adult

#44

Post by jacquesm »

Before you look into paid options for your tuition needs I'd look into the Khan Academy first. It's free, very high quality and it's more than just math if you want it. Sal Khan is one of the greats and the Khan Academy, together with WikiPedia is one of the best things to come out of the internet.

Re: Relearning math as an adult

#45

Post by dcw303 »

elteto wrote: post #40
dcw303 wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AOPS audience is gifted high school kids, so it doesn't get up to the college level. The core texts are: - Prealgebra - Intro to Algebra - Intro to Counting & Probability - Intro to Geometry - Intro to Number Theory - Intermediate Algebra - Intermediate Counting & Probability - Precalculus - Calculus

Are you doing the online classes or only the books? I wanted to register for the online classes but they seem to be heavily oriented towards interactive learning.

Just self study with the (physical) books. I did also try the ebook combo for the Prealgebra book, but I found typing latex in the answers to the exercises was cumbersome.

I think the online classes with interactive lessons is a separate thing, but I don't have any experience with that.

Re: Relearning math as an adult

#46

Post by viraptor »

juunpp wrote: post #27
UncleOxidant wrote: post #22

So... basically an ad for Math Academy? How about some free resources like Khan Academy?

That's basically what it is. There is nothing to learn from this post other than "smash that beta sign-up button". Has anyone tried that course? Is it any good?

It's really good for its goals. I've used it for a few months and was really happy with the results. The spaced repetition aspect worked perfectly. The courses are still being worked on - already 99% there with quality, but you can report any issues and they get fixed. Just keep in mind that the target is largely students, (at least at the moment) so the aim is mastery of the subject - if you're interested in learning the concept but not actually doing a lot of practice of using it, then it may not be the right service. And there are magic internet points / leaderboards if gamification is something that works for you.

The exercise sizes are also very small almost all the time. That means instead of a whole topic at the time and figuring out where you left the last time, you can do as much as you want at a time and not be restricted by artificial "chapters".

Re: Relearning math as an adult

#47

Post by pvg »

dcw303 wrote: post #8

I've been doing similar for about a year. My target is to learn the math needed to make 3d games, so basically algebra, geometry, calculus and linear algebra. I started with brilliant.org, and while I liked the level of polish in the interactive lessons, I found the lesson structure to be out of sequence, often referring to things that haven't been covered yet. They didn't seem to have put as much thought into pedago…

Are you using any of the stuff you're learning for whatever practical 3d game-making things you're working on? Just curious how it's working out, you've picked a pretty broad foundation as a starting point.

Re: Relearning math as an adult

#48

Post by jacquesm »

boxfire wrote: post #3

I may be biased as I am a trained Mathematician, but I always feel when someone says "Math is Hard", that is because they had bad teachers. Math is easy if you build up from fundamentals, not like physics education where you say "but lets delete everything before because it had an oversimplifying assumption", rather if you build your knowledge entirely sequentially from things you know or assume, you build up a toolb…

> I may be biased as I am a trained Mathematician, but I always feel when someone says "Math is Hard", that is because they had bad teachers.

You're biased.

I've had excellent teachers, math was - and still is - hard. Especially when you get into the more complex stuff. Not everybody is as gifted at math as you are.

Re: Relearning math as an adult

#49

Post by jacquesm »

JustinSkycak wrote: post #33
TotoHorner wrote: post #9

Can anyone help me with some questions about this program? (I assume the founders will see this thread once they notice the HN hug of death) 1. How exactly is AI being used here? Is there an AI chat-bot that I can ask for help? Do you generate problem-sets with AI? Check answers with AI? Is it GPT-4? 2. Do you utilize Spaced-Repetition in any way? Have you found that to be useful? Thank you

Hi there, my name is Justin Skycak, I'm the Director of Analytics & Algorithms at Math Academy, I developed all of our quantitative software, and I'd be happy to answer your questions. 1. The AI is more like an expert system that emulates the decisions of an expert tutor with regard to what tasks a student should work on at any given point in time (what should the student learn next, what do they need to review). The…

Why am I not surprised that a marketeer shows up in an 'organic' posting about a company.

Re: Relearning math as an adult

#50

Post by javchz »

jorgesborges wrote: post #28

I’m a thirty-something with an arts degree who decided to learn math. Basically I was tired of reading popular science and being fed metaphors to understand concepts. I wanted to “see” it for myself. I spent time online at Khan Academy and friends for a year or so on and off. It was fine but meandering? So I enrolled in community college! It’s great. I have a clearer path, immediate feedback, teachers, and an obligat…

100% Agree. Im a big proponent of developing self-thought skills and making the best of e-learning, but I think math (alongside languages and other) are one of those areas where the real time feedback makes traditional education still worthwhile.

It's hard to replace it with just books and online courses. Not impossible but harder.

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