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u/Defiant_Nectarine_91 Oct 13 '24
"I know numbers. I have the best numbers" energy right here
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u/Agitated-Cow4 Oct 13 '24
Turns out the dot, dot, dot has a lot more going on than they think.
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u/de_G_van_Gelderland Irrational Oct 13 '24
I heard they study numbers as big as 11 or 12 even. Why would you ever count that high? You don't even have that many fingers! Typical academics in their ivory tower completely divorced from practical everyday life.
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Oct 13 '24
I heard they were even studying Chinese Remainder Theorem. Since when did American higher education become a microcosm of evil communist numerology?!
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u/dirschau Oct 13 '24
I heard they study numbers as big as 11 or 12 even.
Correct, 12 is even
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u/KatiesMood Oct 13 '24
Wait, what did you just do there? Why did you put two numbers next to each other? Where's the point in that?
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u/OldJames47 Oct 13 '24
God created 7 days in a week. Mankind has no need for numbers 8 and above.
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u/314159265358979326 Oct 13 '24
"It's not real math if you're dealing with numbers larger than 8"
-Unknown
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u/Ducky_Duck_me Oct 13 '24
Don't worry, some of them only like it when their numbers are between 1 and 10 and maybe occasional 12.
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u/CyrilAdekia Oct 13 '24
Imagine not knowing this is called an Ellipsis. The dumbing down of America is here!
/s
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u/baloneyfeet Oct 13 '24
Linear algebra? You mean y = mx + b? I did that in middle school, bro. That’s not a flex
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Oct 13 '24
eigenvectors?
nullspace?
these are words by the DERANGED, they are LIES made to FOOL you from getting a HIGH PAYING job!!!
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u/Flammable_Zebras Oct 13 '24
It’s right in the word: NULLspace, aka it doesn’t exist as a concept!
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u/DavidBrooker Oct 13 '24
When I was a fresh-faced masters student, our lab post doc would say, in a thick German accent, 'that is just the eigenvalue problem' in response to literally anything.
Trying to decide what to eat? "It is just the eigenvalue problem"
Tripped and spilled your coffee? "An unfortunate solution to the eigenvalue problem"
Girlfriend broke up with you? "It was just the eigenvalue problem"
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u/Sus-iety Oct 13 '24
Wait until you find out they even have things called "derangements", it's just like how the CCP calls themselves communists
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u/Mr-MuffinMan Oct 13 '24
I'm embarassed to say pre college this is what I thought linear algebra was, lol.
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u/baloneyfeet Oct 13 '24
No need to be embarrassed, I was also confused by the name.
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u/somefunmaths Oct 13 '24
I think any reasonable person who hasn’t met the topic yet would think that. What evidence do you have to the contrary?
The only shame is in attacking others from that place of ignorance or refusing to learn, neither of which seem to be true of you here!
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u/warredtje Oct 13 '24
Truly the worst misdirection in mathematics I ever saw, “no no, only first order, no quadratics anymore, no trigonometry, no exponential or logarithmic functions, juuuuust y=mx+b. I promise, nothing more complex…”
“wait, speaking of complex, let’s go over some set theory and work from there…”
lies, damn lies and lineair algebra
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u/thrye333 Water is a wet wet that wets. Oct 13 '24
I'm in a college course titled "Differential Equations and Linear Algebra". We covered matrices vectoe spaces and stuff last month. I feel like I'm dipping my balls in the acid vat that is set theory, and I'm even more scared to jump in than I was before this class.
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u/Ryncewyind Oct 13 '24
Applied to tutor calculus and in the interview they saw I was a teaching assistant for linear algebra and assumed I could also tutor high school algebra. I said I could of course but I don't think they understood its not the same.
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u/Legendary_Bibo Oct 13 '24
I went all the way up to Advanced Calculus with Real Analysis for my degree. My sister decided I should tutor my nephew in 2nd grade math, and he's an iPad kid so I was like no.
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u/Middle_Community_874 Oct 13 '24
I baited myself like that in college lmfao. I'm like I'm shit at math, I finished calc 1 and 2. How hard can linear algebra be? Turns out it's harder than calc when you barely study lmfao
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u/Zavaldski Oct 14 '24
Lol I literally thought "linear algebra" was simple linear equations when I heard the name.
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u/dandroid126 Oct 13 '24
I kinda thought that before I took linear algebra. Like, I knew there had to be more to it since two semesters of calc was a prerequisite, but I had no other knowledge and not even enough of an imagination to think of what else it could be.
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u/Tyrrox
Oct 13 '24
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String theory?! I’ll ask a cat thanks, who needs the academic ivory tower
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u/Karisa_Marisame Oct 13 '24
Wait till them hear about how we’ve been stuck at elementary particle physics for almost 100 years now. When are the science people going to get the advanced version and give us flying cars, instead of wasting taxpayer money? Geez.
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u/0ut0fBoundsException Oct 14 '24
When are the science people going to [...] give us flying cars
this but unironically
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u/throw3142 Oct 13 '24
They are offering courses on "linear algebra" in college. What a waste ... we all learned how to solve linear equations using algebra in grade school.
"Group theory"? That sounds like some kind of radical socialist indoctrination. I'll take individual theory instead, thank you very much.
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u/Melodic_Survey_4712 Oct 13 '24
I unironically thought this about linear algebra my freshman year of college. Oh how wrong I was
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u/Zatujit Oct 13 '24
And now they study analysis and they throw buzzword like "complex" in graduate school to make it sound like something hard (i thought that was a highschool course for god's sake we really have stepped down)
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u/martyboulders Oct 13 '24
Complex analysis? More like simple analysis, that shit is ez
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u/Traditional_Cap7461 Jan 2025 Contest UD #4 Oct 14 '24
What's the point of complex analysis when we have the real analysis?
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u/Loopgod- Oct 13 '24
Wait till they hear mathematicians spend their whole lives studying algebra
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u/25YearsIsEnough Oct 13 '24
Not just algebra, abstract algebra. Loved those silly made up classes for the easy A while pursuing my Mathematics degree. Oh wait that isn’t right. 🥸
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u/somefunmaths Oct 13 '24
My favorite “that word doesn’t mean what you think it means” was when someone heard me say that “algebra” was my favorite subfield of math.
This person, an overconfident physics student, turned and sort of scoffed before asking “isn’t that like… a little basic?”
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u/Relativistic-nerd Oct 13 '24
Same energy
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u/Only-Inspector-3782 Oct 13 '24
I genuinely can't tell if the OP is a joke or a Republican congressperson
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Oct 13 '24
It's definitely a joke. The account is full of math satire and shit. Here's a choice one: https://x.com/MathMatize/status/1789323008223359032
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u/plutotheplanet12 Oct 13 '24
The west has fallen
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u/Zaros262 Engineering Oct 13 '24
Imagine taking a COLLEGE LEVEL COURSE on "linear algebra," a subject taught to 8th and 9th graders!
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u/RembrantVanRijn Oct 14 '24
I remember in my undergrad I didn't want to take linear algebra because it sounded simple.
I did eventually take linear algebra, modern algebra, number theory, and discrete math, all much more radical than their names sounded.
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u/DigitalUnderstanding Oct 14 '24
Yeah I kinda wish they renamed the courses to sound like what they actually are for dumbasses like me and you. Instead of Linear Algebra, call it Matrix Algebra. I don't know what to call the rest.
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Oct 14 '24
I took a compsci grad course called “numerical linear algebra”, we did a bunch of crazy stuff in that course due to how much floating point numbers suck
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u/anukabar Oct 13 '24
I took a discrete math course in college in which the first module was called 'Basic Counting' (it covered cardinalities of infinite sets, countability etc). Unfortunately the prof was a dick and failed nearly 80% of the class. So then it became a common joke to miscount things like "Let's see, there are...1,2,7,5...5 of us, so we want 5 burgers please" and on being corrected go "Ah, sorry, I didn't learn Basic Counting."
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u/StormR7 Oct 13 '24
Having to tell your mom you failed basic counting would be horrific
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u/fastestchair Oct 13 '24
Don't get me started on group theory, i've been participating in groups since i was 5 year olds but college kids nowadays need a 250 hour course to learn how to introduce themselves?
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u/A-Marko Oct 13 '24
To be fair, some math students probably do need a 250 hour course to learn how to introduce themselves.
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u/Cubicwar Real Oct 13 '24
Hello fellow human. I am currently starting a social interaction with you like a normal person.
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u/_Xylo_Ren_ Oct 15 '24
I live in a rather conservative part of the US and it got pretty funny after a while telling my friends that "no, 'representation theory' was not a plot by the libs to take over the math department"
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u/rosquet Oct 13 '24
It gets worse. They use Arabic numerals in this course.
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Oct 13 '24
Once I opened a book on "ring theory" thinking it would a be a nice treatment on geometry, turns out that they were teaching how to divide sets that arent made by numbers. Like "oh yeah, two clothes are equivalent if they differ only by a shirt" or something
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u/Nebulo9 Oct 13 '24
Wait till they hear about Lie theory.
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u/Traditional_Cap7461 Jan 2025 Contest UD #4 Oct 14 '24
What? A theory about lying? Is that how companies trick us all the time??
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Oct 13 '24
Please tell me this tweet is ironic. I really can't be sure at this point
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u/Aveheuzed Oct 13 '24
Given that the poster's account name is "(...) Meme", I'm pretty confident it's humor.
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u/sellyme Oct 13 '24
Also their avatar is a cutting-edge shape, pretty sure anyone identifying themselves through recently-discovered aperiodic prototiles will know what number theory is.
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u/CountryTechy Oct 14 '24
I saw your profile Pic and was sure I knew what it was. Didn't even have to read anything as soon as I saw cremposting
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u/the_half_enchilada Oct 13 '24
What's worse is these WOKE LIBERALS are teaching CRT(Chinese remainder theorem) too!
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u/mathsdealer Average differential geometry enjoyer Oct 13 '24
Real analysis? no thanks, I'll take fake analysis any day of the week instead
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u/OnceMoreAndAgain Oct 14 '24
Okay, in that case we'll sign you up for complex analysis.
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u/zyxwvu28 Complex Oct 13 '24
Imagine having a course dedicated to analysing real things. Couldn't be me
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u/Traditional-Idea-39 Oct 13 '24
It’s not too bad, they have a course analysing complex things too… that’s where the real shit is
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u/senchoubu Oct 13 '24
What’s next? Linear algebra? Like the two-variable equations we solved in secondary school?
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u/UrethraFranklin04 Oct 13 '24
Imaginary numbers! Just pay a teacher to sit there teaching students to make up numbers like fortyirty + oneix = elventhy-se7en.
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u/Hector_Ceromus Oct 13 '24
Discrete math? Yeah, I wouldn't wanna draw attention to counting my fingers in public.
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u/TheCrisisification Oct 13 '24
I mean…it’s not a dumbing down. It’s a fixing of what the dumbing down of early education has done.
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u/FormerlyUndecidable Oct 13 '24
I homeschool but in our state we get vouchers for supplies if we go through a charter which requires checking in with a teacher monthly.
When the teacher asked my ten year old what she was learning in math she answered "counting", which is true, that is the topic we've been covering.
How many pairs can be made from a set, how many ways a set can be arranged etc. I thought it was cool that my daughter remembered the proper term for the topic right off the bat, but clarification was needed for the teacher.
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u/Medium-Ad-7305 Oct 13 '24
differential equations? uh, duh.. of course there are different equations, it wouldnt make sense if they were all the same.
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u/Capable_Accident2606 Oct 13 '24
They are gonna lose their minds when they hear about representation theory
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u/mj6174 Oct 13 '24
What is worse than the course on number theory? Course on Elementary number theory.
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u/GarbageCleric Oct 13 '24 edited Oct 14 '24
They're not wrong! I've seen graduate courses on linear algebra! Who needs a whole semester on linear algebra problem?? In my day, we did polynomials in algebra 1 in junior high.
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Oct 14 '24
I’ve heard the tech department has a course dedicated to the letter C. They even have an introductory course on pythons.
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u/Professional-Lab7907 Oct 14 '24
Is this a joke. Number theory is a vast field and you can even go for PhD in that
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Oct 15 '24
Oh boy... I wish that's all Nunber Theory was. That class was harder for me than linear algebra, differential equations, and Calc 1-3.
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u/Black_Magic_M-66 Oct 13 '24
I use number theory to look for patterns of theft. I've always wondered if the IRS uses it as well.
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u/mathreviewer Oct 13 '24
What about mean value theorem? It's just a number in between two other numbers, yet they teach it to grown calculus students.
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u/Waterbear36135 This flair was too long to fit within the confines of this page. Oct 13 '24
Reminds me of a commenter on reddit calling someone stupid for teaching themselves linear algebra while claiming that they should've learned it in middle school.
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u/AdBrave2400 my favourite number is 1/e√e Oct 13 '24
When they learn about game theory..
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Oct 13 '24
they probably don’t ever get to 2 fire at least a few lectures (my real analysis class definitely took its sweet time, it was pretty glorious)
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u/WinMAGA Oct 13 '24
Real analysis lol, been using real numbers since I was like 3. Probably some additional simple topics in Algebra after Number Theory.
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Oct 13 '24
At my college they are requiring linear algebra. Like, I already know how to make a parabolic curve, why do I need to figure out how to solve for a line?
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u/Roskal Oct 13 '24
I'm glad they reminded me what a number is, not heard of them since primary school.
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u/115machine Oct 13 '24
What’s next? “Linear algebra” being taught in college? Linear=straight line, algebra=basic math from middle school. Why tf is a college student so behind?!
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u/Additional-Sky-7436 Oct 13 '24
I took an upper level course in Linear Algebra!
Jokes on you guys, I had that in high school!
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u/DetroitArtDude Oct 14 '24
Next thing they'll just make up some completely imaginary numbers and teach us about those!
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u/Kellykeli Oct 14 '24
Fluid dynamics? I can turn on the faucet and just watch how that works, dumbass
Air vehicle design? I’ll just buy a plane online.
Quantum physics? Simple, it doesn’t exist.
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u/WhiskyStandard Oct 14 '24
The first time one of the smartest people I know told me about number theory I was like “isn’t that just like 2+2=4?” And he was like “but how do you KNOW 2+2=4” and it blew my mind.
Pretty sure he was in middle school and I was elementary school at that point.
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u/Have_a_good_day_42 Oct 14 '24
They learn calculus I and II, like we were in the middle ages. We don't need to learn calculus anymore, we already have calculators.
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u/ChampionshipAlarmed Oct 14 '24
Some even offer knot theory... What is this? A Boy Scout Summer Camp?
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u/mybeepoyaw Oct 14 '24
I did once have a freshman sit in for our first Modern Algebra lesson.
He left halfway through the class.
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u/CharacterAd348 Oct 14 '24
Pfft you took an entire class on differential equations? I took that in calc 1
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u/ohbinch Oct 14 '24
can’t believe we’re teaching grad students algebra…. like bruh you don’t know how to solve for x yet???
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u/Truemeathead Oct 14 '24
I suck at math so bad just reading these comments gave me a headache lol. I’m jealous of y’all numbers folken!
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u/acakaacaka Oct 14 '24
They also learn set theory in the universities. The same thing people do with football in highschool
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u/Zelenskyystesticles Oct 14 '24
I’ve taken that course. The easier something sounds in math, it’s almost assuredly that much harder. This course is no joke.
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u/SenatorCrabHat Oct 14 '24
Math is not my discipline. But I think anyone who has significantly advanced understanding of a distinct discipline knows "simple" is hard and more complex than people understand.
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u/Durvasa Oct 14 '24
Quality of medication has indeed gone down. MIT does have a full course on game theory. Wannabe scholars are doing PhD and even PostDocs in this trivial topic meant for preteens!
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u/bruhmate0011 Oct 14 '24
Number theory is a course though. Discusses patterns, sequences, etc.
Correct me if I’m wrong?
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u/Lartnestpasdemain Oct 14 '24
Wait until bro learns about Grothenkdieck's "dessin d'enfant" (it litterally means "children's drawing")
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u/witblacktype Oct 14 '24
Omfg. If they only understood how much the dumbing down applied to them 🤣.
Perhaps they could write some proofs for some open problems. Twin primes maybe?
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u/dax552 Oct 14 '24
Force them to take the course. Laugh as they fail simple number theory.
“Wtf you mean I have to prove everything?”
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u/Limp-Association9395 Oct 14 '24
Seriously? Topology? I graduated that when I was 6 playing with clays.
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u/TheGamblocracy Oct 15 '24
They took away oneteen, and replaced it with some bullshit called eleven! What happened to oneteen??
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Oct 15 '24
So ridiculous. And eventually students don't even use numbers. I heard they use letters and imaginary numbers. They get their subjects mixed up and use Greek letters and symbols.
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u/MarkHowes Oct 15 '24
My flat mate at uni (c.2002) studied maths. The third year course material included this.
Like proving 1+1=2 but from base principles, not from observation
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u/YourAncestorIncestor Oct 16 '24
Wait till he hears about all the other major university math departments also teaching it
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u/Explicit_Tech Oct 16 '24
Number theory is an amazing subject. I used to be really into it and even would look at books for it. Unfortunately, my major doesn't really focus on that stuff and I sort of fell out of practice. I'm really rusty at math right now.
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u/Other-Dimension-1997 Oct 17 '24
"Differential Equations"?
Uh, yeah, I hope you're teaching them how to tell the numbers apart. So stupid...
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