MATH IS HARD

[Xooxe]

I'm still as bad at general arithmetic as I was before I reached double figures (in ages). 

[BootyBay]

Dover books are a math person's best friends.  As is Hatcher's "Algebraic Topology" (free online & available at book stores).  Get as many .pdf files as you can on math & soon you will be enlightened (or at least confused).

For anyone who has just barely gotten into the "proof" realm of mathematics, I suggest Group Theory.  It's fun & easy and gives you a little insight into what lies beyond.

A group is a set G with a "binary operation,"which is a function   *: G x G -> G
s.t.

1) * is associative
2) there exists an identity element (i.e. if e is the identity *(g,e) = *(e,g) = g for all g in G)
3) for every g in G there exists g^-1 s.t. *(g,g^-1) = *(g^-1,g) = e

Instead of writing *(g1,g2) one usually writes g1*g2. 

[Jasper]

I'm still as bad at general arithmetic as I was before I reached double figures (in ages). 

It's just like learning how to play any game, really.  Once you've got the rules down you're ready to start having fun. 

[Vene]

i was really close to moving to amsterdam and enrolling in a doctorate program in logic - but then i realized that probably wouldn't be very good for my sanity.  plus, being surrounded by people not speaking english really gets under my skin after a few days.

nearly all dutch speak english quite well. especially the university students.

otoh, logic might indeed not be very good for one's sanity.

I think logic is better for your sanity than English.  At least logic tries to make sense.

[Cain]

x=x

Clarify

(12 points)

[Payne]

x=x

Clarify

(12 points)

YO MOMMA

[Jasper]

x=x

Clarify

(12 points)

[Vene]

x=x

Clarify

(12 points)

I never said it did a good job at making sense.

[Cain]

x=x

Clarify

(12 points)

I never said it did a good job at making sense.

True.  I believe that question came up in my Logic exam, first year.

The problem was, as I recall, that the entire exam had to be written using modal logic language.  So you couldn't blather on and hope you'd get it right via luck, you had to do shit like

[Gundam Agriculture]

Beware of Hoare logic.  Or embrace it.  Your choice, but you will have a hard time keeping a straight face.

[Triple Zero]

in fact so many dutchies love speaking english that its next to impossible to learn dutch by experience, they'll automatically start speaking english as soon as they know a foreigner is near. It took an Aussie friend of mine  about 6 years to learn dutch and his pronunciation is still horrible.

troof.

pronunciation will probably not improve much, the way you pronounce language is imprinted when you're young, it's pretty hard to get rid of that at a later age.

[LMNO]

[Gundam Agriculture]

You got no points cuz you spelled "strait" wrong.  Dees wuz uh spleling tset, amirite?

[Jasper]

AWWRRGH Fucking radicals and properties of exponents are confusing me.  I didn't pay enough attention in class and now I might only get 60% on my last homework! 

[Vene]

AWWRRGH Fucking radicals and properties of exponents are confusing me.  I didn't pay enough attention in class and now I might only get 60% on my last homework! 

Wait, what?  Exponents are confusing you?  What level math are you taking?