Smith1776 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 6:56 pm
stuper1 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:45 am
Smith1776 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 9:01 am
I finished my math assignment.
I think I've developed PTSD.
I hope this doesn't sound snide, because I don't mean it that way at all, I'm just genuinely curious.
Why does someone who doesn't like math have a beautiful math equation as his signature line?
By the way, that math equation blows my mind every time I look at it. It's quite amazing to think that two irrational numbers could do something like that. Written in longhand it is something like (2.71828...) to the power of i times (3.14159...) is equal to -1. It's quite trippy.
Also, in one of your earlier posts you said that "infinite series suck". I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that there is no way to prove that beautiful math equation without using infinite series, so obviously they are quite useful.
Not snide at all! It's a totally fair question. The truth is that I actually really enjoy math. My degree is a double concentration in math and computer science. It's just that this last semester has just really been a lot for me, and I think I need at least a break from math for now.
As I mentioned in some previous posts, the required math I have to do is all done now. Everything else from here on out is optional!
You bring back "bad" memories!
I took calculus in high school. Took the advanced placement exam. Go the highest score - a 5 -- "Extremely well qualified".
Therefore when I entered WPI (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) I had 7 credits before I even took a class.
I told everyone that I was going to major in math and computer science. Seemed appropriate at the time.
That first year Math continued to be my strong suit - A's in Math III and Math IV. Absolutely loved that Math IV differential equations course. All numbers and formulas.
However the second semester of freshman year I had to take a computer science course that was required for all students at the school (as were these required for all: the four math courses, two semesters of chemistry, and three semesters of physics).
I just could NOT fathom the concept of bits and bytes! I got so frustrated with it all that I did a quick calculation in my head of what getting an F in the course would do to my GPA and realized it could handle an F. I then proceeded to push the book to the back of my closet saying that I'm not going to let this unfathomable (to me) course waste any more of my time.
Luckily for me, in this case. a few months later Kent State happened so that I was able to drop the course that deep into the semester (mid-May) with no consequences, no hit to my GPA.
The next year I'm into Advanced Calculus which I have to drop because it's ALL theory. My beloved differential equations and corresponding numbers were nowhere in sight. And, the Modern Algebraic theories course was deadly. What happened to all my numbers in a math course??!!! The only numbers I was seeing were the problem numbers. What happened to my beloved math I'd love from 1st grade all the way through the Math IV differential equations course? This IS math??!!! Not MY math!
I dropped out of school after that sophomore year.
About 20 years ago I did get my A+ computer technician certification. From all the studying I did for that exam (reading a 1,000 page book twice, among other study materials) I ended up quite well understanding all these bits and bytes! 30 years later!
A story linked to the studying for that certification.
I was in the Yankees Stadium right field bleachers while the Yankees were having batting practice and I was studying for that certification.
I just happened to look up and here was this ball (home run) coming right at me. I saw when it was about 20 feet away from me. I had almost no time to react. I stood up, stuck out my left hand. It hit the palm of my left hand, bounced off, and then a policeman picked it up and gave it to a kid. Now it was starting to hurt a lot. The ball had been going at least 80 mph? And, I had nothing to show for it! I quickly went under the stands and asked for some ice. Got it, put it on my palm and both the swelling and pain rapidly went away. I think it may have been Bernie Williams who had hit that ball.
Went back to my seat and my studying!
Vinny