Write a rapid prototype first (2007)
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Write a rapid prototype first (2007)
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Re: Write a rapid prototype first (2007)
#2This is great advice for almost any problem, not only math. I've used the same approach when programming, thinking through product problems, even thinking through issues that come up in life- describe the problem and the outlines of potential solutions. I find this brings clarity that's not always present if I just think through problems in my head.
Re: Write a rapid prototype first (2007)
#3> In particular, it is often difficult to make the (important) decisions about the organisation of the argument, and selection of good notation, until a large part of the paper is already written
This is very true. When writing a blog post in China during the earlier parts of coronavirus [1], I had drafted an initial version where I just went through my experiences in chronological order. Only after writing it all down did themes emerge in how I finally structured the article.
This really speaks to the power of interdisciplinary concepts though. Writing an essay by writing an outline first and then filling in the details probably predates rapid prototyping by eons. It's cool that it all circles back to writing academic papers only through this leap!
[1] https://wanderlog.com/blog/2020/01/29/coronavirus-observatio...
Re: Write a rapid prototype first (2007)
#4To echo other comments, I've found this works for creative/fiction writing as well.
I forget where, but I once heard that writer's block is what happens when you try to create a final draft on the first try.
Re: Write a rapid prototype first (2007)
#5I do this with code, which is my main creative medium these days.
First I solve the problem, without giving a damn about anything else.
Then I gradually improve my solution until I understand the problem well enough to drastically improve the architecture, at which point I either refactor or start over from scratch depending on which takes less effort.
Re: Write a rapid prototype first (2007)
#6I wonder how often “proof of concept” or “rapid prototype” scientific papers get “pushed into production” before they’re finished by managers?
I wonder if papers written this way suffer from “second system syndrome”, where the rewrite stage totally changes the underlying arguments and conclusions “in response to feedback from stakeholders”?
Re: Write a rapid prototype first (2007)
#7Title missing a (2008).
Re: Write a rapid prototype first (2007)
#8I am a big fan of this approach.
I have seen that if I stop and think about the problem too much in the beginning, it takes a whole lot longer to arrive at a good solution.
Prototype -> Think -> Engineer.
If you are lucky, you get to reuse some code from the prototype, if not that was hopefully a good lesson for the future.
Re: Write a rapid prototype first (2007)
#9To echo other comments, I've found this works for creative/fiction writing as well. I forget where, but I once heard that writer's block is what happens when you try to create a final draft on the first try.
If Michelangelo did drafts and studies, why can't I?
Re: Write a rapid prototype first (2007)
#10Title missing a (2008).
That explains the "Using version control software (e.g. Subversion) can facilitate this process immensely"