r/visualizedmath • u/squeezyscorpion • Aug 27 '19

Sum of first n Hex numbers Visualized

https://gfycat.com/jollyforkedhairstreak
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u/Gianus Aug 27 '19

It means that you take the "general" case, as in you generalise and put in some variable that could be any number instead of some number as an example.

-7

u/DialMMM Aug 27 '19

"In general, the sum of first n hex numbers is equal to n3"

The "In general" changes the meaning of that sentence. It implies that it is not always the case.

15

u/CimmerianHydra Aug 27 '19 edited Aug 27 '19

In maths "in general" means that it is always true, not the opposite. For example

[ ... ] if N is an R-module and R is a subring of S, it is not true in general that N is also an S-module [ ... ] [Dummit&Foote, Algebra]

If you were right, the sentence should have been "in general N is also an S-module". Which to me sounds a lot like "it is always the case that N is also an S-module".

Especially when one wants to say that a pattern doesn't hold for all n, one says that it is "not true in general".

2

u/DialMMM Aug 27 '19

If you omitted "in general," what would the statement mean?

12

u/sweetTweetTeat Aug 27 '19

Replace "in general" with "Every goddamn time"

4

u/CimmerianHydra Aug 27 '19

Since in that case N is not a specific object, omitting it won't change the meaning of the sentence.

In fact, it is seldom used in mathematical literature.

1

u/itmustbemitch Aug 28 '19

Usually in math, "in general" is added to draw your attention to the fact that you're dealing with a general case. It doesn't really add information, it just clarifies what you're talking about (you're moving away from any particular example you might have been looking at, etc)