So, after much hemming and hawing, I've registered over at www.complexityexplorer.org and signed up to take a course in Dynamical Systems. Supposedly, it only requires high school algebra. We'll see.
Looking to get the feel of this under my belt, then taking more advanced courses. Not sure what it will lead to, but it'll look pretty bitchin' on my resume/CV.
That looks like an interesting website - could be a good resource. Complexity theory isn't something that I've heard of before but the syllabus for the course you're taking sounds interesting.
From the sounds of:
Quote2.Introduction II: Differential Equations
your maths skills could be getting quite a workout.
I've always liked the idea of online/lifelong learning but finding the drive to actually commit is difficult with so many distracting/easier things to be doing. Good luck!
First week down. Integrated functions, fixed points, graphs.
My understanding was there, but I forgot how to take quizzes and got 7/10. Need to slow down.
Still, the course instructor is pleasant and the concepts were well laid out. I think I can do this.
Algebra was rustier than I thought, though. May need to hit Khan Academy for a bit.
Quote from: LMNO on June 16, 2016, 03:46:44 PM
So, after much hemming and hawing, I've registered over at www.complexityexplorer.org and signed up to take a course in Dynamical Systems. Supposedly, it only requires high school algebra. We'll see.
Looking to get the feel of this under my belt, then taking more advanced courses. Not sure what it will lead to, but it'll look pretty bitchin' on my resume/CV.
OMG, this sounds like so much fun!
So far, it's really fun. I miss being a student.
Quote from: LMNO on July 12, 2016, 12:59:35 AM
So far, it's really fun. I miss being a student.
Being a student is really awesome and fun in a lot of ways.
I am also really damn sick of it, but I think I am pretty addicted to having THINGS TO LEARN. I want a break, but I don't necessarily think I would tolerate a break very well. Which is good because unless something unexpected comes up (typing that made my stomach turn because I don't feel very secure about life right now) I will be starting again in two months.
Nailed the test on Differential Equations. Mostly because we stuck primarily with qualitative solutions, dipping our toes into computational (Euler's Method), and pretty much not even looking at analytic solutions.
Still, I'll take 100% anyway. Next, we're finally going to start looking at Chaos.
Quote from: LMNO on July 15, 2016, 02:05:29 PM
Nailed the test on Differential Equations. Mostly because we stuck primarily with qualitative solutions, dipping our toes into computational (Euler's Method), and pretty much not even looking at analytic solutions.
Still, I'll take 100% anyway. Next, we're finally going to start looking at Chaos.
Nice!
Butterfly effect, Lyapunov Exponents, Bifurcations. Fun!
Amazingly enough, very little math needed to figure this stuff out. Though I'm really leaning towards digging in to the Khan Academy stuff to get back into algebra and calculus.
Quote from: LMNO on July 29, 2016, 02:11:13 PM
Butterfly effect, Lyapunov Exponents, Bifurcations. Fun!
Amazingly enough, very little math needed to figure this stuff out. Though I'm really leaning towards digging in to the Khan Academy stuff to get back into algebra and calculus.
This sounds pretty awesome!
I have no idea what I'm taking this Fall. The classes I registered for are essentially no longer applicable, but I can't register for graduate classes yet because I'm not in the system as a grad student yet.
Is there a general thread for Schools, Unschools, self-schooling, and other autodidact shit?
I want to see a thread containing syllabi on courses that are not yet taught, premised upon things not yet here.
Quote from: CBXTN on July 29, 2016, 10:06:16 PM
I want to see a thread containing syllabi on courses that are not yet taught, premised upon things not yet here.
Yesterday, upon the stair,
I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today,
I wish, I wish he'd go away...
(I don't know if this is a general academic aspirations thread or not, so if I'm threadjacking please move my post to the Open Bar or something.)
I also really miss school. Although, it may be just because I'm having such a shitty time finding a job that I yearn to crawl back into the warm womb of academia. In a perfect world I'd be studying ancient and non-Western art history right now, but it's not a feasible prospect at the moment because of lack of money for tuition and lack of job prospects in that field. I don't think the humanities are "worthless", I just think our society has a hard time applying the humanities in a practical way in our current capitalist system.
1. Feel free to make this a general "I'm learning stuff" thread.
2. Nailed Bifurcations of the Logistic Equation. The tests are way dumbed down, but I'll take it.
Quote from: LMNO on August 05, 2016, 06:12:11 PM
1. Feel free to make this a general "I'm learning stuff" thread.
2. Nailed Bifurcations of the Logistic Equation. The tests are way dumbed down, but I'll take it.
It sounds awesome, though! Also I have been thinking of some of these MOOCs basically as primers to the topic; I'm taking intro to epidemiology and intro to bioinformatics 4-week MOOCs before fall classes start.
I'm finally official and registered for Fall classes, which will be Animal Behavior, a thesis prospectus class, and a one-credit seminar class.
Sweet! I've caught the learning bug again.
My only bittersweet feeling is that dad would have loved to see me get interested in complicated maths. And I'd have such a great resource.
Fuck cancer.
Quote from: LMNO on August 05, 2016, 07:04:51 PM
Sweet! I've caught the learning bug again.
My only bittersweet feeling is that dad would have loved to see me get interested in complicated maths. And I'd have such a great resource.
Fuck cancer.
:sad: Bittersweet, indeed.
Finished up Universality, which is a really cool result, how the behavior of simple functions can be seen in complex real-world structures.
On to Phase Space!
Quote from: LMNO on August 18, 2016, 07:34:37 PM
Finished up Universality, which is a really cool result, how the behavior of simple functions can be seen in complex real-world structures.
On to Phase Space!
That sounds really cool!
It happened. I'm now voluntarily going through the Khan Academy algebra classes so I can then take Trig and Calc. All so I can figure out this System Dynamics stuff properly.
Well, at least it's not heroin.
I am, quite against my better judgement, seriously considering taking some chemistry classes at the U of A.
Because fucking water.
The first class is free...
(http://images-mediawiki-sites.thefullwiki.org/07/1/1/9/67841631182963379.jpg)
Quote from: LMNO on August 31, 2016, 11:41:06 PM
It happened. I'm now voluntarily going through the Khan Academy algebra classes so I can then take Trig and Calc. All so I can figure out this System Dynamics stuff properly.
Well, at least it's not heroin.
I totally need to do that. Well, I need to finish Trig so I can take Calc, though honestly, I don't have any use for it now, other than curiosity.
At least you're doing it for a degree.
This stuff has literally NO application to either my work or any of my current hobbies.
I'm retaking algebra for FUN.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on September 01, 2016, 04:16:18 AM
I am, quite against my better judgement, seriously considering taking some chemistry classes at the U of A.
Because fucking water.
I dread the idea of you having more control over water than you have now. That shit ends with "....and then there was a tsunami everywhere".
Quote from: Junkenstein on September 01, 2016, 06:04:16 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on September 01, 2016, 04:16:18 AM
I am, quite against my better judgement, seriously considering taking some chemistry classes at the U of A.
Because fucking water.
I dread the idea of you having more control over water than you have now. That shit ends with "....and then there was a tsunami everywhere".
I just want to make it all go somewhere else.
Irrigation as a weapon of mass destruction.
Quote from: LMNO on September 01, 2016, 11:35:15 PM
Irrigation as a weapon of mass destruction.
Yes. Unless it starts behaving.
Quote from: LMNO on September 01, 2016, 05:25:26 PM
At least you're doing it for a degree.
This stuff has literally NO application to either my work or any of my current hobbies.
I'm retaking algebra for FUN.
That is straight-up legit as fuck.
I watched lessons 1-3 onNotes and rhythm, and now my head feels like it's gonna asplode. I forgot how awesome (but kind of hard) music reading is.
Quote from: LMNO on September 01, 2016, 05:25:26 PM
At least you're doing it for a degree.
It's not for a degree, though, is what I'm saying. Calculus doesn't apply to my Masters. I won't need it for my PhD. The only possible chance I could even have to take it is afterward, for funzies.
Yay! I'm not alone!
LMNO
-totally forgot that a negative number squared has a positive answer.
Quote from: LMNO on September 06, 2016, 04:08:42 PM
Yay! I'm not alone!
LMNO
-totally forgot that a negative number squared has a positive answer.
Maybe we can start a movement of middle-aged people taking math for fun!
I think I've mentioned it before, but one of my good friends started teaching herself math late in life, and loved it so much that now she's a math teacher.
That's pretty awesome.
This seems like the right thread to ask in; in your sig, why is the simplified expression on the left?
I misread your initial question, so I deleted my answer as to not sound pedantic.
I believe the simplified expression is on the left because probabilities, for some reason, are read right to left.
Because this is Bayes' theorem, I believe it's interpreted as "The probability of the event happening is equal to the conditions relating to that event."
Jeez, I hope that was the answer you're looking for.
(makes a mental note to expand into statistics and probability classes)
Quote from: LMNO on September 06, 2016, 07:14:33 PM
I misread your initial question, so I deleted my answer as to not sound pedantic.
I believe the simplified expression is on the left because probabilities, for some reason, are read right to left.
Because this is Bayes' theorem, I believe it's interpreted as "The probability of the event happening is equal to the conditions relating to that event."
Jeez, I hope that was the answer you're looking for.
(makes a mental note to expand into statistics and probability classes)
That is the answer to what I was wondering! Thank you.