What's the hardest mathematical thing you know?
- Thread starter Arnie
- Start date
Oh I have absolutely no idea. I seem to have been taught a lot of different mathematical systems this year (first year computer science undergrad! 
) but they still seem quite 'new' to me. I'll just go with the safe thing and say A-level C4 integration.
) but they still seem quite 'new' to me. I'll just go with the safe thing and say A-level C4 integration.
Permabanned
- Joined
- 9 Jun 2009
- Posts
- 11,924
- Location
- London, McLaren or Radical
If you "know" it... then it's not hard anymore
Soldato
- Joined
- 23 Dec 2009
- Posts
- 18,254
- Location
- RG8 9
12x table off by heart. 
It isn't if the concept and purpose of the transform is not passed on to the learner.
I know someone who is very intelligent but a poor speller - because they were never taught to structure words or that words were built from parts of component words. The methods used by that person's teacher did not engage them and therefore they came away with a poor overall understanding of the topic.
It's difficult in a classroom environment because people have all sorts of different learning styles.
Associate
- Joined
- 11 Jun 2009
- Posts
- 1,249
My phone is set with a maths alarm and it asks me simple maths formulas before the alarm turns off.
I sometimes solve them at 5:45AM without screaming.
I sometimes solve them at 5:45AM without screaming.
The hardest maths I actually still remember well enough to cite it off the top of my head is a set of results about the mathematics of infinity (using cardinality). I have an MMath so I studied stuff harder than that but I no longer remember it.
Associate
- Joined
- 12 May 2005
- Posts
- 1,782
The series 1 + 1/2 + 1/3 + 1/4 + ... 1/n = Log(n) + Y Euler–Mascheroni constant
The series 1 + 1/4 + 1/9 ... + 1/n^2 = Pi^2 / 4
The series 1 + 1/8 + 1/27 + ... +1/N^3 = Pi^3 / 9
i ^ i = e^-Pi*K/2 for K = 1,3,5...
I wouldn't have the foggiest idea how to prove them. Euler proved 1/n^2 using trigonometry.
The series 1 + 1/4 + 1/9 ... + 1/n^2 = Pi^2 / 4
The series 1 + 1/8 + 1/27 + ... +1/N^3 = Pi^3 / 9
i ^ i = e^-Pi*K/2 for K = 1,3,5...
I wouldn't have the foggiest idea how to prove them. Euler proved 1/n^2 using trigonometry.
Last edited:
Most difficult bit of maths I know? Well I'm currently revising Cholesky Factorisation for my exam next week, but I couldn't say what the most complicated bit of maths I know is. Probably something within the fields of complex analysis or measure theory.
As to Castiels question, have a read of this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axiom
Everything is based on the axioms of mathematics, as for the incompleteness theorem, well thats beyond my expertise. Essentially you can't have a system of axioms that prove themself, and define the natural numbers? I just assume the axioms are true
As to Castiels question, have a read of this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axiom
Everything is based on the axioms of mathematics, as for the incompleteness theorem, well thats beyond my expertise. Essentially you can't have a system of axioms that prove themself, and define the natural numbers? I just assume the axioms are true
I'm probably the worst person in the world at maths. I've actually wondered if maybe I have dyscalculia 
GCSE maths was way too hard for me - I was pretty near the bottom of the pile in my year. I think of myself as generally being above average in terms of general intelligence....maybe right on average at worst......but my brain cannot accept maths. I am numerically retarded 
GCSE maths was way too hard for me - I was pretty near the bottom of the pile in my year. I think of myself as generally being above average in terms of general intelligence....maybe right on average at worst......but my brain cannot accept maths. I am numerically retarded I don't mean to be rude, and I'm sure you're a better mathematician than I am, but I tend to find that the people who resort to an explanation like this are the very same people who don't fully understand their work.
I may be wrong (there are obviously exceptions), but it's an observation that tends to be fairly close to the mark.
As for the hardest mathematical thing I know? Whatever I'm trying to learn at the time.
Last edited: