You mean why do I want to learn maths? Do you mean to imply that it could be more useful to learn something else (or indeed that it’s a better strategy to learn nothing at all)? Maths is important. I haven’t studied it seriously in a few years, and being part of the lesswrong community I come across things moderately often which elude my understanding. Is that not reason enough? I should say that whether or not I get advice from lesswrong (some of our fellow contributors have already been quite instructive), I will learn this stuff anyway—it just seemed more efficient to ask lesswrong first before setting off alone.
Sure, that’s reason enough, but there are benefits associated with having something to protect. Math is huge, and I don’t see going into it directionless ending well. Further, generic advice probably isn’t going to be more helpful than specific advice.
Well, I’m not going to pretend that my sister’s life depends on learning maths - at the moment it’s not that important to me, and I’m going to have to muddle through on lesser motivations. That is a very useful thread, though (I realise now that I have been thinking of maths as hierarchical—thinking that either you learned it in a particular order, each tier supported by the previous, or you didn’t learn it at all) - thanks very much.
Math is sort of hierarchical in that advanced maths depend on earlier math learning. But the overall map is more a huge confused network, with topics splitting and feeding into each other all over the place. I am going to repeat my regular recommendation, if you want to study maths on your own, do some reading about math. My recommendation, as always, is Philip Davis and Reuben Hersh, The Mathematical Experience. It is the broadest discussion of maths that I know of. I haven’t seen the new edition which has been enlarged and with exercises for studying, but that is mostly intended (from the reviews) for college students’ only exposure to math, and if you intend to continue studying math, I don’t really think it is necessary.
You mean why do I want to learn maths? Do you mean to imply that it could be more useful to learn something else (or indeed that it’s a better strategy to learn nothing at all)? Maths is important. I haven’t studied it seriously in a few years, and being part of the lesswrong community I come across things moderately often which elude my understanding. Is that not reason enough? I should say that whether or not I get advice from lesswrong (some of our fellow contributors have already been quite instructive), I will learn this stuff anyway—it just seemed more efficient to ask lesswrong first before setting off alone.
Sure, that’s reason enough, but there are benefits associated with having something to protect. Math is huge, and I don’t see going into it directionless ending well. Further, generic advice probably isn’t going to be more helpful than specific advice.
Related thread.
Well, I’m not going to pretend that my sister’s life depends on learning maths - at the moment it’s not that important to me, and I’m going to have to muddle through on lesser motivations. That is a very useful thread, though (I realise now that I have been thinking of maths as hierarchical—thinking that either you learned it in a particular order, each tier supported by the previous, or you didn’t learn it at all) - thanks very much.
Math is sort of hierarchical in that advanced maths depend on earlier math learning. But the overall map is more a huge confused network, with topics splitting and feeding into each other all over the place. I am going to repeat my regular recommendation, if you want to study maths on your own, do some reading about math. My recommendation, as always, is Philip Davis and Reuben Hersh, The Mathematical Experience. It is the broadest discussion of maths that I know of. I haven’t seen the new edition which has been enlarged and with exercises for studying, but that is mostly intended (from the reviews) for college students’ only exposure to math, and if you intend to continue studying math, I don’t really think it is necessary.
Is there any particular sort of math you’re interested in?