[Cold Titanium]

Hello everyone! Hope this is the right place to post this.

I am currently studying for my associates in computer networking. I am very interested in mathematics(metaphysics?) as well though. <rant>One thing I hate is that every math class I get just teaches me a "form" or "method" to follow to pass their test. They never teach "why" or "how". </rant> All my math teachers say I am good at math, mainly because I have 102 averages in my classes, but I am basically just copying what the teacher did, and slightly altering it to fit the problem on the paper.

Anyways, I was wondering if it was possible for a human to do things like; use math to solve chess games or other complex puzzles. I want to be able to use math for more than just solving problems on paper. Get what I mean? I want the ability to be able to take math and adapt it to any complex problem and get an answer. Am I making any sense? Does anyone have any advice on what kind of math or other topics to study on my own? Or is this just a waste of time?

Thanks!

P.S. I am taking the Network+ exam at the end of this month. Any advice on that would also be appreciated

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Anyways, I was wondering if it was possible for a human to do things like; use math to solve chess games or other complex puzzles. I want to be able to use math for more than just solving problems on paper. Get what I mean? I want the ability to be able to take math and adapt it to any complex problem and get an answer. Am I making any sense? Does anyone have any advice on what kind of math or other topics to study on my own? Or is this just a waste of time?

that's completely possible.....Deep Blue (the super computer that played chess) solved all of it's chess problems with math (EVERYTHING computers do is with math)....it used complex algorithms and statistical analyses to make it's moves and predict it's opponent's moves

it's not your teacher's job to get you to use math in your daily life (though really good math teachers can do that)....you need to take the initiative to think about the world in numbers (if that's what you want to do)

P.S. I am taking the Network+ exam at the end of this month. Any advice on that would also be appreciated

study

[dsenette]

Anyways, I was wondering if it was possible for a human to do things like; use math to solve chess games or other complex puzzles. I want to be able to use math for more than just solving problems on paper. Get what I mean? I want the ability to be able to take math and adapt it to any complex problem and get an answer. Am I making any sense? Does anyone have any advice on what kind of math or other topics to study on my own? Or is this just a waste of time?

that's completely possible.....Deep Blue (the super computer that played chess) solved all of it's chess problems with math (EVERYTHING computers do is with math)....it used complex algorithms and statistical analyses to make it's moves and predict it's opponent's moves

it's not your teacher's job to get you to use math in your daily life (though really good math teachers can do that)....you need to take the initiative to think about the world in numbers (if that's what you want to do)

P.S. I am taking the Network+ exam at the end of this month. Any advice on that would also be appreciated

study

[Anthony19]

Hello Krusha

Lmfao
Quote : P.S. I am taking the Network+ exam at the end of this month. Any advice on that would also be appreciated

study

Too true dsenette
PS: I'd like to give the super computer a run for its electricity ( Game of chess )

Good example

On = 1
Off = 0
hence a string of functions may look like 01011001011 etc
Just an example of how a computer can use numbers to forum a function , although... you are all on another level here , far above me

Best of luck
&
Happy computing

Anthony19

[CompooterDummy]

This gives a pretty good general overview of mathematics:

Wikipedia's "Mathematics" Page

A good read over that and the links within it might give you a sense of the foundations behind the patterns you seem to be naturally catching on to. Be prepared for a lot of reading! Hope this helps.

[Cold Titanium]

study

My parents had to pry me out of my books for spring break.

Thanks for the link CompooterDummy!

[CompooterDummy]

Thanks for the link CompooterDummy!

You're quite welcome. As someone in another thread points out, Wikipedia does have some weaknesses but I still thought that might not be a bad place to start. I chose it mostly because I don't really know where you're from. If you have access to a library with an Encyclopedia Brittanica, the Macropedia has two pretty good articles that you can locate by looking for "mathematics". Those are quite a bit to chew on, though.

These folks here are also pretty good about helping out if you run into questions. Beware though, they're smart enough to know if you're just trying to get them to figure out your homework for you. Not that it sounds like you'd be guilty of that, if your parents have to pry you from your books!

[PedroDaGR8]

One of the biggest things you can do is learn to think. I mean truly learn to think. So many people today can regurgitate what they heard from someone else, learn facts and parrot them when needed. Very few can actually think. It is rather sad, as so many seem almost SCARED to think. It sounds like I am exaggerating, but as a chemistry lab instructor, I see it ALL THE TIME. When I push people to try to connect the dots, they just seem scared and shut down.

It sounds to me like you are interested in what are called the proofs of what you are doing. These are ab initio (first priciniple meaning nothign is assumed). These basically take a problem with no assumptions and solve it in as generic a form as possible. These actually can be VERY heady, even for simple problems.

I feel you on wanting the WHY? It is something that teaching has really drilled into me, is that teaching the what and the why together helps some students to grasp things better (others are content with just the what).


Oh yeah, as for solving complex problems, Calculus seems to be ALL about solving problems. The science of physics is BASED on calculus. Also, statistics has a HUGE number of applications (to some degree Chemistry is based on statistics, statistical mechanics, etc.)

Edited by PedroDaGR8, 30 April 2009 - 03:31 PM.

[Cold Titanium]

Thanks for the help!

BTW I passed my Network+ exam YAYYYYYY!!!!!

Actually, it was a very easy exam once I got to it.

[NikiAlbanian]

I am really glad that you are doing your best to study Mathematics. I completely understand you how you feel about your science teacher(s). I really do like science but I hated school because of the reason you mantioned above. They wanted me to learn what they tought me, and I wanted to learn what can be implemented in the real life.

As far as I know, to learn how to apply Mathematics in real life you should get a degree called Mathematics Engineer. Remember that most of the things are computerized starting from coomon actions in real to the very expensive military operations.

link removed

We would be very glad to have you. Thank you.

[mpascal]

Math is fantastic. If you look at university programs there are many different streams of mathematics simply because it applies to so many different things - optimization, physics, number theory. The possibilities are endless.

[Chopin]

I absolutely believe that schools these days do not do an adequate job teaching math. I am in Math Team, so I have math experience and mathematical intuition beyond what I Should normally have. The schoolteachers' methods of teaching math, while having no flaws, doesn't allow students any comprehension whatsoever. For example, a topic that basically every high school math student comes across is the quadratic formula. My teacher just gives us the formula and "You'll be expected to use it on your next quizzes and tests." If I didn't ask where the formula came from (duh, I know how to derive it) she wouldn't have derived it.

I think this is why Americans are behind on math. They know it, but they don't know it.

[PedroDaGR8]

Fredil, you find this in MOST of the hard sciences. Sometimes for example in physics it is because students don't have the math yet, but most of the time it is the fact the teachers aren't all that prepared themselves. For example, in chemistry I strongly believe introductory chemistry should be taught around the periodic table. Basically, a class in periodic trends, as opposed to the multiple hodge-podge subjects as it is taught now. Periodic trends explain so much about reactivity and the chemistry of systems. Yet, they are not taught or at minimum glossed over.

[mpascal]

I think this is why Americans are behind on math. They know it, but they don't know it.

Agreed. Knowing and Understanding are two completely different things. I can think of another example, where teachers tell us derivative rules (product rule, quotient rule, ect.) but often won't explain where they came from simply because it's something we are not expected to know (at least for my school board). I think that if teachers took the extra 10 minutes to explain where things come from, people would better understand concepts and be able to apply them more freely.

[SanjitVigneshS]

Something around here might help , http://www.onlinecom...-math-books.php

[OpenOutcome]

Haha. I always found it funny how ZERO was such a hard number to figure out. I'm pretty sure a math teacher told me that ancient people dealt with numbers back then - mostly through shop, how many of a certain item they had (sheep was my teachers example). When they owed someone 4 sheep, they had the concept down of -4 . When they owned 7 sheep, they had the concept down of +7. I think it took them like another hundred years to figure out, "oh well.. I have NO sheep." Maybe you had to be there. My teacher made weird facial expressions.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to find my own proof for Fermat's last theorem..

Haha..
-Jason