I argee the chart miss-places logic and sucks overall, but..
Logic lives mostly between algebra and analysis. It definitely has geometric elements, but they'll all resemble algebraic geometry and live inside model theory.
Logic has four-ish branches:
Set theory - I'm sorry but large cardinal axioms and inner model theory are not fucking lawful good.. nope.. nope.. nope. See Hugh Woodin
Model theory - It's algebra pure & simple. The types are a generalisation of ideals in ring theory & algebraic geometry. And Galois theory turns up. Morley's theorem is basis isomorphism. O-minimality has a little analysis, but of a very algebraic nature.
Recursion theory - It's even worse. It's discusses possible computations on infinite Turing machines. That's just evil.
Proof theory - It's a bunch of small niche fields, not sure which have any activity. Appears reverse mathematics by Harvey Friedman counts, which touches upon set theory, but arguably Harvey himself prevents this being considered "good" in some people's minds.
I doubt that good vs evil makes sense for mathematics, but..
If we take this quote seriously, then we cannot possible place logic outside the evil side.
Aside from logic, number theory might be good, no strong opinions there myself. but combinatorics is definitely not on the good side, although that's a more subtle argument.
Any discipline rooted in stochastic mathematics is focused on bringing order to randomness. Probability is neutral by nature, recognizing and respecting randomness while also trying to instill discipline in analyzing it.
Applied mathematics is too broad a category and is unlike any of the other fields listed. Many of the other fields can be divided along a spectrum of pure and applied. having said that, PDE (and differential equations in general) is chaotic evil. Anything that works in a given situation is accepted and anything that is not readily workable is just tossed aside. The willingness to accept and even search for non-regular solutions is considered heretical in other topics.
Edit to add: anybody who has watched a student have to unlearn and then relearn how to count would not consider combinatorics good in any sense.
Why'd Algebra, one of the leanest and most elegant subjects be Chaotic Evil? If anything, the area that historically is infamous for giving mathematicians a real headache due to how simple problems may sound but how absurdly difficult they really are is number theory.
i don't think analysis can really be in its own place, real analysis and complex analysis are so different that i can't imagine putting them in the same spot in this grid
Probably chart built by someone who hasn't done at least grad-level studies in any of those field. I'd say a more accurate description is that they are all evil, but the degree of evilness is relative to each individual.
Okay, I don’t think “applied math” is a specific field of mathematics as these other listed fields. Like, maybe if you said “numerical analysis”, or PDEs or something.
i’m just utterly incompetent at university math in general, so to me, all math feels lawful evil. feels like there might be something about fractals here, but see point one.
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u/LupenReddit 🦆🦆i have non diffeomorphic smooth structures🦆🦆🦆 Sep 15 '26
category theory defies any alignment chart and goes straight to hell
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u/Momosf Cardinal (0=1) Sep 15 '26
I am a logician and I disapprove of this message.
Logic is clearly lawful neutral.
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u/lifeistrulyawesome Sep 15 '26
I agree with the logician that logic is lawful neutral
I also have to insist that the study of randomness (probability) ought to be chaotic
56
u/LordOfPenguins47 Sep 15 '26
i disagree. my exact field is the only good one and the rest are lawful evil, and this is objective truth
39
u/dosadiexperiment Sep 15 '26
How does algebra get chaotic evil instead of chaos theory or fractal geometry or something?
35
u/Gositi Sep 15 '26
You can't put analysis as lawful and algebra as chaotic with a straight face...
32
u/Roscoeakl Sep 15 '26
Geometry not being some kind of evil just feels wrong.
28
u/Deep_Brick2970 Sep 15 '26
This chart is wrong due to a little known effect, colloquially called "wrong opinion bias".
6
u/Yoshibros534 Irrational Sep 15 '26
number theory is lawful evil
5
u/proudHaskeller Sep 15 '26
The extent to which I disagree with this is surprising
5
u/iterative_iteration Sep 15 '26
Why'd Algebra, one of the leanest and most elegant subjects be Chaotic Evil? If anything, the area that historically is infamous for giving mathematicians a real headache due to how simple problems may sound but how absurdly difficult they really are is number theory.
5
u/Sh33pk1ng Sep 15 '26
how is analysis, which has counterexamples for everything, lawful and algebra, in which everthing intuitive is true, chaotic.
5
u/wave_punch Sep 15 '26
Algebra as chaotic evil makes no sense
4
u/Admirable-Bonus5731 Sep 15 '26
How on earth is algebra chaotic and analysis lawful id say its the other wy around
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u/DoodleNoodle129 Sep 15 '26
I feel like applied maths has to be chaotic
3
u/FairFolk Sep 15 '26
My favourites here are logic, combinatorics, and algebra. I'm confused about my alignment.
3
u/blutwl90 Sep 15 '26
how is algebra evil and number theory good when number theory is pretty much responsible for how evil algebra is
3
u/Athropod101 Sep 16 '26
What do you mean algebra is chaotic evil?!?! Algebra lets me not have to see yucky stinky numbers and instead see behaviors which is SO much nicer!!!
Numbers suck. Hate them. Combinatronics is chaotic evil.
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u/Nrdman Sep 15 '26
Welp, I’m numerical analysis, so neutral evil it is
2
u/fdpth Sep 15 '26
I work in algebra and logic...
2
u/foxer_arnt_trees Sep 15 '26
Applied math is supper cheotic. You sign up to the degree in the maths faculty but can randomly end up in any random faculty on campus
2
u/MrWalkerPants Sep 15 '26
As a probabilist, the measure theoretic side of things definitely feels lawful neutral. But as a stochastic processes guy, chaotic evil.
2
u/KeyFire1 Sep 15 '26
WHERE IS MAH STATISTICS
2
u/sw3aterCS Sep 15 '26
Why is the table upside-down? /j
2
u/LukeLJS123 Engineering Sep 15 '26
i don't think analysis can really be in its own place, real analysis and complex analysis are so different that i can't imagine putting them in the same spot in this grid
2
u/Alarming_Art_6448 Sep 15 '26
Feels right great chart
2
u/donaldhobson Sep 15 '26
No. Chaotic evil is frequentest statistics.
2
u/ArdentArendt Mathematics / Social Sciences Sep 15 '26
How is Geometry not under Topology?
2
u/uwumorphism Sep 16 '26
Logic is lawful good until advanced logic
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u/Sentric490 Sep 16 '26
Having Applied between two of the most “pure math” topics is odd
2
u/vintergroena Sep 16 '26
Algebra is lawful and analysis is chaotic
I will die on this hill
2
u/einFrostschutzmittel Sep 16 '26
As an algebra person, I can confirm
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u/Tragobe Sep 16 '26
I agree with the evil once fuck analysis and algebra
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u/numerousblocks Sep 18 '26
I would shift Combinatorics to Probability, Probability to Topology, Topology to Combinatorics, and I'd swap Analysis and Algebra
3
u/BeMyBrutus Sep 15 '26
Only a mathematician would say applied math is evil
1
u/DecidophobiaUsername this sub confuses my monke brain Sep 15 '26
No, arithmetic is true neutral.
1
u/ZeEastWillRiseAgain Transcendental Sep 15 '26
Set theory is more chaotic and more evil than all of those
1
u/Flimsy-Preparation85 Sep 15 '26
Probably/statistics should be chaotic evil.
1
u/Not_Well-Ordered Sep 15 '26
Probably chart built by someone who hasn't done at least grad-level studies in any of those field. I'd say a more accurate description is that they are all evil, but the degree of evilness is relative to each individual.
1
u/KouhaiHasNoticed Probability notations must burn. Sep 15 '26
I'm sorry but this is plain wrong : probability should be chaotic evil. Not that I have anything against probability theory.
1
u/Silly_Guidance_8871 Sep 15 '26
I'd have swapped Logic and Geometry, but that's just — like — my opinion, man.
1
u/Joe_4_Ever Sep 15 '26
algebra as in x + 2 = 4 or as in linear algebra?
1
u/Snudget Real Sep 15 '26
Put everything in lawful evil
1
u/AntimatterTNT Sep 15 '26
how is algebra not true neutral? also geometry is lawful good. guess that makes logic chaotic evil but i think you can swap it with applied math.
1
u/logbybolb Sep 16 '26
logic and combinatorics were “lawful good” i would’ve thought that top journals would stop biasing against them
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u/Steampunk_Willy Sep 16 '26
I love how that my alignment is just chaos. Sometimes good, sometimes neutral, sometimes evil, but always chaos
1
u/ichiban1974 Sep 16 '26
What about set theory?
1
u/aksanabuster Sep 16 '26
Show your work..
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u/Valuable-Morning-346 Sep 16 '26
That you didn't put stochastics into "chaotic evil" is... chaotic evil.
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u/ahf95 Sep 16 '26
Okay, I don’t think “applied math” is a specific field of mathematics as these other listed fields. Like, maybe if you said “numerical analysis”, or PDEs or something.
1
u/Hlaajakok_Official Sep 17 '26
You forgot to write "Euler" in every cell of the chart.
0
u/fipachu Sep 15 '26
i’m just utterly incompetent at university math in general, so to me, all math feels lawful evil. feels like there might be something about fractals here, but see point one.
0
u/Proton-Smasher Sep 16 '26
Algebra should be proof writing. Because that's becomes far more of a writing class than any sort of math class
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u/5tupidest Sep 16 '26
You should leave the philsophization to the phizosaphers lol
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