Mathematics: any fans of higher-level mathematics?

I just wanted to see if any of the Hip people here have any experience with higher-level mathematics. By that, I mean things that require proof-writing ability and abstraction, and generally post-Calculus subjects. Some topics include:

1. Vector Spaces (aka Linear Algebra II)
2. Real Analysis (aka Advanced Calculus)
3. Group Theory (aka Abstract Algebra)
4. Topology (not topography haha)

I am only in my first year of graduate school for mathematics, so I am no expert in these subjects, but I have a working knowledge of them. I find Mathematics incredibly interesting and mind-expanding...dare I say more so than any psychedelic drug.

Relevant to the Hip crowd would be discussion of things like

1. Philosophy of Mathematics- what are numbers? Is mathematics essentially equivalent to people's idea of a "God"?
2. Struggles in math- are you also a grad student who struggles with impossible problem sets and proofs.
3. Drugs and Math- it is well-known that mathematical researchers dabble in stimulants (mainly) and sometimes psychedelics and other drugs. How do drugs effect your mathematical ability? I will tell MY tale of mathematics and drugs (in my case, Adderall) if you want.

Tell me about your math experiences

 

The highest math I know is that multiplication is quick addition.

 

Not I.

But my son is ending his fourth year of college (out of a 5-yr program) and is a math major. He loves math. He says he wants to get a math phd; and thinks (hopes) he has a decent shot at a post-grad program at washington university, st louis. I'm pretty sure he's had all that you mentioned and others that come afterwards. And he's always talking about some arcane proof he's investigating or writing.

I was able to help him with math way back; up until he got past trig and algebra (farthest I've taken it). Now I can't understand half of what he tries to explain to me! hehe

 

What does 150 mgs of MDMA + 300 ugs of LSD divided by my mouth and multiplied across my millions of nerve cells =

 

I wish him the best. Tell him to expect lots of bad times along the way, but to not give up. Grad school is really life changing and I even had to take a semester off to rethink it. But, overall, the math brings you back.

 

Essentially, it equals the picture in your sig haha.

 

I find the term "higher" discriminatory, transitory and prejudatory. Just because we mathematically challenged are impaired at solving problems of shall we say, esoteric quality, does not mean that we are in any way less skilled in the ways of the Euclidean persuasion as those so-called 'elite' able to solve so-called 'higher' mathematical problems.

 

Come on now. You know I didn't mean it that way. That is simply the term that is used for the subject material I later described in the body of the post. I am no math prodigy either, I just love the subject! Too many people are afraid of math and miss out on some of the most profound experiences of the mind. Don't be afraid!!

 

the idea that mathematics can accurately model some elements of the real world [biological, social] is a delusion at this point in time, and probably forever, and should be abandoned immediately

 

mathematics need contants... and the universe don't do constants :willy_nilly:

 

Why the hatred for such an enriching subject? I didn't think something as neutral as mathematics would cause controversy, but I am never dissapointed on this site at what offends people for no real reasons...

 

I think you are confusing physics with math here. Mathematics is abstract. There are no set constants for anything. Any post-Calculus math course leaves constants in the wind and simply represents those values with symbols.

 

Mathematics doesn't claim accuracy. The people who apply mathematics to such systems assume certain parameters, which leaves it open to inaccuracy, but compared to any other explanations for anything that actually exists in the universe, there is no better alternative. If you believe otherwise, present me with some convince able evidence and theories please.

 

game theory

still uses the rational actor model, and cannot deal with the irrational actor

personally, i don't know any rational actors, and wonder if the whole setup is a bit of a tautology, i.e., isn't the rational actor simply the one that produces the best results?

i've got my panties in a twist about this right now as game theorists busily wreck the amerikan economy . . .

 

Has pantie wadding proved to be an effective counter strategy?

 

That is one small segment of the applied mathematics community. I am sorry you disagree with them. I am not interested in applied mathematics anyways. I prefer theoretical and abstract mathematics.

 

i don't understand why representing a value with a symbol equates leaving a constant in the wind?



example please?

 

Math is an abstraction. So what is theoretical and abstract math, isn't that an application? Can you translate from math to english? You should be able to, theoretically speaking.

 

if i can convince people to pay to watch, i should be okay

 

If I say that I fall from an airplane with acceleration equal to 'g' this is more accurate than defining g in terms of a number such as the infamous approximation 9.8m/s. That defined constant is simply not true, and any numerical approximation will inevitably fail to reach the true value for various reasons. In mathematics, we car about structure behind the 'objects' or 'systems' described, not their numerical value- that is physics and engineering. So, by using the symbol 'g' and not caring what the exact value is, we can delve more deeply into the structure behind gravitational acceleration (as this example talks about) and do things such as integration and differentiation on the acceleration shown by the symbol 'g'. This would be inaccurate and cheap if we always used a number. This is the most basic example I can think of. I hope it convinces you of whatever you were concerned with. I still don't see how the hell people could honestly be 'suspicious' or 'mad' at something as neutral, objective, and emotionally free as mathematics. I am curious why it bothers you all.