Author Topic: How to Attain a Studious Life  (Read 4112 times)

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Nation of One

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999: How to Attain a Studious Life
« on: February 22, 2016, 03:05:53 pm »
I am repeatedly astounded that we have been fortunate enough to have this medium for our correspondence.

As I am inclined to babble on and on, I will try to answer your question directly.

Yes, I do think it is possible to  be obsessed with mathematics while not committing oneself to any particular discipline (with no interest in algebra,calculus, or programming). 

Perhaps it all depends on how one is wired. 

Myself, I am comforted by some guidance and structure when approaching "mathematics" since it is so monstrously vast, where so many regions are incomprehensible to me.

You might be drawn to Chaos theory and fractals ... and, as you mentioned, Number theory ... It does seem a little grotesque to compartmentalize into so many branches, I know.

Some people are wired to zero in on what they feel is "the ultimate" area of study, almost the scientific version of Hegel's "Absolute".   Many theoretical physicist revere Quantum Mechanics as some kind of holy grail, presenting it to the lay public as a sort of streamlined modern day mysticism for an elite inner circle of "quantum gods".   ::)

Myself, when I venture into reading about Quantum Physics, I look at a few pages and back away from the text shaking my head - only because it appears to be utterly incomprehensible to me.

I am easily overwhelmed, you see, and, much like you, I don't want to feel as though my "appreciation of the realm of mathematics" is inadequate just because I have not mastered a particular branch.

However, speaking for just myself, I find that when I finally do find a source, such as a textbook, that is just a little beyond my comprehensibility, if I find myself respecting the effort the authors of the text have invested in trying to guide the reader/student to understand the subject (or branch or field), then, should I become engrossed in an exciting adventure, I tend to be less "nasty" and "mean-spirited" toward the "specialists" ... and attempt to put into words what I do and don't comprehend.

For example, since I have become curious about differential equations, I resisted the temptation to go diving into some incomprehensible physics or engineering text. I was very fortunate to find a book for five dollars on Amazon that really appears to be directed at my level of comprehension.

See Differential Equations & Linear Algebra

There are "exploratory laboratory" exercises in a supplemental Interactive Differential Equations ... I am curious about the authors' encouragement to learn how to "write in mathematics" where they promote "suggested journal entries" to practice writing about mathematics, which for me, has always been frustrating.

I suppose I am wired in such a way, where my mind can easily be overwhelmed by the chaos of it's own thinking, that I cherish some kind of "grounding" ... and, yes, guidance from experienced "mathematicians".

Remember how over the summer I was just exploring Number Theory, and I stumbled upon (purely by chance) William Stein's Elementary Number Theory: Primes, Congruences, and Secrets?  I was fascinated with the Chinese Remainder Theorem.  That text had a huge effect on my life, encouraging me to begin a special series of "Math Diaries" (which I now call Computational Sketchbooks).  It is also where I first learned about Sage - Stein is the founder, and, hence became intrigued with Python on whose libraries of modules much of Sage is built.


Quote from: Holden
    Both my grandfathers were scientists, a chemist and a mechanical engineer ... one helped build the atomic bomb.

That's interesting.You certainly come from a long line of German mathematicians.I cannot help thinking that its only with you that your lineage has reached its culmination & with it,its end.

It's end?  Yes, this appears to be the case unless the space monkeys lock me in a planet-of-the-apes cage (***blankets and bananas***) with a beautifully exotic specimen for the purpose of squirting in the last few drops of my evil seeds.    :P 

As you phrase it, I see "its end" more as a Schopenhauerian/Nirvanic culmination ...

As for a long line of mathematicians, no, no, and again, no.   It was just the fathers of both my parents.  My parents have absolutely no interest in mathematics.  As for great grandparents, I have heard stories about a Swedish great grandfather who was a heavy drinker and a hater of religion.  I feel a great connection with him.   Another great grandfather (of German lineage) committed suicide like Schopenhauer's dad, and I believe he was also a businessman like Heinrich Schopenhauer, but not quite as wealthy.   I think he owned a factory that crafted coffins.  Can that be true, or is that some kind of joke?   Well, I'm sure it wasn't a factory.  It wasn't a coffin boutique!  Maybe they were built on demand ... People are always dying.  :D

He committed suicide Mr. H?  And crafted coffins?   ??? ;D

How ironic!

In the tradition of Kurt Vonnegut Jr., I might as well spill the beans, since you alone display an interest in such hilarious details.

It was just Charlie Weber, the engineer who worked for RCA designing "pressure relief valves for water heaters" (and forced by the US government to help out on some minor detail with the Manhattan Project) ... and Carl Hentrich, the chemist who worked for DuPont (and tried to convince my father --- Mr. Bill, who constructs walk-in freezers for countless merchants from India who have set up shop [mostly liquor stores]  ;) on the East coast ---- to take a job at DuPont as a janitor).   When my father rejected this game plan, my grandfather suggested he study "Refrigeration" since it could not be "outsourced" ... it's hands on and expensive to ship the parts, unlike "information technology" which is zipped and zapped around the planet at the speed of 3×10^8 meters per second.

Too much information?

I am not ashamed of my grandfathers.  In fact, they appear to be the source of my mathematical inclinations.  I'm just more wired like my Swedish great grandfather as far as my insubmission goes, and a little like my father when it comes to disassociating myself with any class of people who seem pretentious or pompous, such as ... well, servile corporate scientists.   :-\

No offence to my grandfathers, I hope.

PS:

I suspect that I inherited my hand-writing directly from my great grandmother on the H side.

My "sober" hand-writing, that is. 
« Last Edit: February 22, 2016, 08:20:47 pm by H »
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