Math on Smogon

Hey. So a large part of my life has been centered around being involved in the Math community and I'm curious to see how far that extends into Smogon.

On the pure math side I'm interested in the Algebra side of things, particularly Commutative Algebra and Algebraic Geometry. On the applied side I'm getting into Game Theory and Machine Learning in my spare time and I'm enjoying it.

I've also gotten really involved in the community at large, more important than just talking about our research interests I figure we could use this thread to talk about the lighter side of things. For instance I worked at MoMath: the Museum of Mathematics as it was under construction in New York, running exhibits and doing office work. I tutor and teach, and some of my most rewarding experiences have been working at MathPath and Epsilon Camp with gifted kids. I've had a hand in running lectures and giving them and I ran the Math Club at University. Finally I've been around the block as far as math competitions are concerned, I've done lots of High School competition and the Putnam Exam in college and organized successful high school tournaments.

So here are some questions to get the ball rolling.

If you're involved in research math, teaching, or a math related field, what kind of stuff are you interested in?

Have you seen a lecture, a Youtube video, or read something cool in passing?
Don't be afraid to share it or talk about what you want even if you aren't serious about math.

Do you like math competitions or even commonly studied games like Chess or Go?

Are you learning math and not sure about what to expect or struggling with something?
Feel free to ask any questions of your own!

The Serious Tag isn't on this thread for a reason. Math is amazing but overwhelmingly seen as not very relatable. Feel free to contribute anything, there's no judgement here.
 
I legitimately hated Math throughout my school career and only started to not hate it my senior year.

I do love to play chess tho, but I haven't been playing much as of recent :(
 
I was brought here by Lemonade

I'm a mathematics teacher and was a mathematics major in college. Did some research on Infinite Integrations and Graph Theory, the former was already proven and the latter was disproved.

Yeah idk I don't mind talking about shit
 
Oh hey! I remember you from another thread where I think you were talking about how you were teaching Lin Alg or Discrete Math or both in your high school?

I've mostly taught university and tutored high schoolers, and even then I never pushed their boundaries much. What's it like trying to take upper level or more Pure Math oriented courses into a high school environment? Are the students receptive to it?
 

toshimelonhead

Honey Badger don't care.
is a Tiering Contributor
I study big data in grad school. Got my prof to sign off on using Antar's usage stats for a project. If I'm posting here between now and Saturday, that means I'm procrastinating.
 

Timbuktu

get bukt
is a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
I'm currently a senior in high school and will be attending the University of Minnesota in the fall. My major is Computer Science but I am considering double majoring in Mathematics or even switching majors altogether, depending on where my interests take me.

I have a job as an instructor/tutor at a Kumon-esque center devoted to math called Mathnasium where I tutor kids primarily K-8 (ages 5-15 roughly). This job along with other factors has influenced me more to desire study in Mathematics in college, and I'm curious about the prospect of teaching as a career.

My current math course is intro to Differential Equations. Any math and/or cs majors want to weigh in about what I should do? :)
 
Currently studying Multivariable Calculus in uni. I'm a first year and it's a second year subject (got into it by doing first year math in highschool), so I've definitely confused a few people with that. After this year I should have my math prerequisites for Astrophysics done. I was considering spending some of my extra subject slots doing more math, but I haven't been super engaged with it this year or last, so not sure that's a good idea - opinions on what math's like in higher years and/or post grad would be appreciated.

I honestly feel like I haven't really gotten stuck into a math problem or even just interesting video or whatever in quite a while. I don't know if it's because I'm not looking in the right places, or if I'm just not as interested in it as I thought I was. I do play some chess though.
 
I'm currently a senior in high school and will be attending the University of Minnesota in the fall. My major is Computer Science but I am considering double majoring in Mathematics or even switching majors altogether, depending on where my interests take me.

I have a job as an instructor/tutor at a Kumon-esque center devoted to math called Mathnasium where I tutor kids primarily K-8 (ages 5-15 roughly). This job along with other factors has influenced me more to desire study in Mathematics in college, and I'm curious about the prospect of teaching as a career.

My current math course is intro to Differential Equations. Any math and/or cs majors want to weigh in about what I should do? :)
Oh yeah I did Mathnasium, that was a good gig.

So if you've taken some kind of Linear Algebra and Multivariable calculus already (most people I've met tend to before Diff Eq but not always) then I'd recommend taking an Abstract Algebra course (if you're looking for something lighter you can take some kind of Discrete Math or Number Theory) and/or an upper level Real Analysis course (There's often a division in schools where they offer a course for math majors and one for everyone else, the one for math majors branches into more general theory and is definitely the one you should take). You should try to take them sometime in your first 2 years, whether you like those main subjects should be a good predictor for whether Pure Math is a good fit for you.

Math/CS majors are pretty common. I didn't study CS in school (I doubled with Physics) but most of my fellow math majors were also in CS. From my experience talking to CS grad students upper level math is certainly compatible with and useful for that kind of research.
 
Currently studying Multivariable Calculus in uni. I'm a first year and it's a second year subject (got into it by doing first year math in highschool), so I've definitely confused a few people with that. After this year I should have my math prerequisites for Astrophysics done. I was considering spending some of my extra subject slots doing more math, but I haven't been super engaged with it this year or last, so not sure that's a good idea - opinions on what math's like in higher years and/or post grad would be appreciated.

I honestly feel like I haven't really gotten stuck into a math problem or even just interesting video or whatever in quite a while. I don't know if it's because I'm not looking in the right places, or if I'm just not as interested in it as I thought I was. I do play some chess though.
If you haven't done a lot of serious proof writing (most people don't in High School because even advanced students do different things) and you're curious about it, you should try course like Abstract Algebra, Real Analysis, or Differential Geometry to see if it's for you.

As you go deeper into the field it becomes less about learning techniques and theorems that you use to solve problems like in say Calculus and more about learning and understanding theory. Problem solving is similar in a logical and creative sense but it takes a bit of getting used to since what you're dealing with is pretty abstract.

In upper undergrad and post grad you start to realize that the topics for pure math research blow up really quickly and that everything you learned up until then is just scratching the surface. It's really easy to get lost in a specialty or a specific problem but the community tends to be open, everyone's working through similar struggles.

I guess that's my general take? If you have more specific questions on what it's like hit me up.
 

Lemonade

WOOPAGGING
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I'm currently a senior in high school and will be attending the University of Minnesota in the fall. My major is Computer Science but I am considering double majoring in Mathematics or even switching majors altogether, depending on where my interests take me.

I have a job as an instructor/tutor at a Kumon-esque center devoted to math called Mathnasium where I tutor kids primarily K-8 (ages 5-15 roughly). This job along with other factors has influenced me more to desire study in Mathematics in college, and I'm curious about the prospect of teaching as a career.

My current math course is intro to Differential Equations. Any math and/or cs majors want to weigh in about what I should do? :)
Graduated last year with math / cs double, I wasn't so much on the software development / systems / traditional computer sciencey stuff, so I would recommend majoring both. What do you want to do (and it's ok if you have no clue)? Or maybe easier, what do you not want to do? That can definitely guide your decision. I basically wanted to "use math" in "computer science", and I put those quotes there because really I could tell people my research (network science) is in math, cs, or stats, and no one would question me. I kind of see math as a tool you can apply to any field you want (ie anything you're interested in), so it is highly beneficial to have a strong background.
 
Oh hey! I remember you from another thread where I think you were talking about how you were teaching Lin Alg or Discrete Math or both in your high school?

I've mostly taught university and tutored high schoolers, and even then I never pushed their boundaries much. What's it like trying to take upper level or more Pure Math oriented courses into a high school environment? Are the students receptive to it?
Done a bit of basic matrix algebra with some classes that was pretty well received, but the discrete portion starts next year. I think it will be difficult for concrete thinkers (which is how most math students start) to think super abstractly, but we will see
 
I graduated from university with a Pure Mathematics degree and helped the university to tutor younger undergrads now. After a bad experience with my supervisor while doing masters, i quit and am now looking for a job.
I was in a similar situation. Good Luck! It took me about 6 months before I could find a job I actually liked and I had to move for it. If you want to talk about your process we're here to help.
 

Nix_Hex

Uangaana kasuttortunga!
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EE here so I took everything up to diff eq just because of that. I've also taken a few LinAlg classes, both in undergrad and grad school, and have studied it independently since. The last math class I took was in grad school as an elective, non-linear diff eq modeling which was pretty amazing. It was weird being the only non math major in a class that had literally 12 people who knew each other.

My emphasis during undergrad was RF (because apparently I hate myself) which requires a level of understanding of multivariable calc that honestly, most engineering majors don't care about - it's one of subjects that you are required to take at least one class on (electromagnetics) and it's the most painful course in entire curriculum. I think the math part of it is great, it's the physics part that's harder for me to wrap my head around. Once the boundary conditions are known, it's basically just triple integrals, or very ideal wave equation solving.

I've thought about going back and getting my bachelor's in math because I already have all of the 100 and 200 level core classes finished. Can't put myself in more debt, unfortunately.

Any recommendations for topics, either applied or theoretical, beyond an intro LinAlg class that I should study independently?
 
EE here so I took everything up to diff eq just because of that. I've also taken a few LinAlg classes, both in undergrad and grad school, and have studied it independently since. The last math class I took was in grad school as an elective, non-linear diff eq modeling which was pretty amazing. It was weird being the only non math major in a class that had literally 12 people who knew each other.

My emphasis during undergrad was RF (because apparently I hate myself) which requires a level of understanding of multivariable calc that honestly, most engineering majors don't care about - it's one of subjects that you are required to take at least one class on (electromagnetics) and it's the most painful course in entire curriculum. I think the math part of it is great, it's the physics part that's harder for me to wrap my head around. Once the boundary conditions are known, it's basically just triple integrals, or very ideal wave equation solving.

I've thought about going back and getting my bachelor's in math because I already have all of the 100 and 200 level core classes finished. Can't put myself in more debt, unfortunately.

Any recommendations for topics, either applied or theoretical, beyond an intro LinAlg class that I should study independently?
Diff Eq is probably my least studied area, in particular I haven't even looked at a lot of the advanced PDE courses. I'd be interested in hearing more about your experience in your graduate course.

Lin Alg generally extends nicely into Discrete Math, Number Theory, and Abstract Algebra in order of difficulty and interest in my opinion. I've read a LOT of Algebra texts but the ones I recommend most for independent reading are Nicholson (at the undergraduate level) and Dummit and Foote (at the undergrad/graduate level).

On the applied side I like how Lin alg extends into Quantum Mechanics. It's one thing to see matrices represent structures we create and observe, it's another to see states and the mathematics governing them as matrices and directly apply your lin alg knowledge as physical intuition. I started with Townsend and found it quite readable, so I'd recommend it for independent study.
 
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Nix_Hex

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Diff Eq is probably my least studied area, in particular I haven't even looked at a lot of the advanced PDE courses. I'd be interested in hearing more about your experience in your graduate course.

Lin Alg generally extends nicely into Discrete Math, Number Theory, and Abstract Algebra in order of difficulty and interest in my opinion. I've read a LOT of Algebra texts but the ones I recommend most for independent reading are Nicholson (at the undergraduate level) and Dummit and Foote (at the undergrad/graduate level).

On the applied side I like how Lin alg extends into Quantum Mechanics. It's one thing to see matrices represent structures we create and observe, it's another to see states and the mathematics governing them as matrices and directly apply your lin alg knowledge as physical intuition. I started with Townsend and found it quite readable, so I'd recommend it for independent study.
Most of it revolved around finding eigenvalues/vectors to determine sinks, sources, and limiting cycles, then sketching the curves. I would check my answers in matlab using ode54(), and my vast experience with Simulink allowed me to share a perspective with the class that your typical math major would not experience. Matlab also has pdepe() for solving PDEs surprisingly easily.
 

Aragorn the King

Literally a duck
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I took multi in the fall and linear this past spring, and am going to take applied math (which is basically our version of DiffEQ) this fall. I really like math and am heavily considering majoring in it. I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with it, but I'm going to try to be spontaneous :)
 
Any recommendations for topics, either applied or theoretical, beyond an intro LinAlg class that I should study independently?
For applied, any sort of advanced modeling course is super interesting and definitely the most useful.

For some theoretical, I've always been fascinated by Mathematical Logic, Graph Theory, and Topology (the latter I'm trying to teach myself independently). I've also heard that Non-Euclidian Geometry is super interesting, but it's difficult to find places that teach it.
 

Nix_Hex

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Blazade while still on the topic of PDEs, the problem we were solving was the wave equation

Which is actually way easier than it looks. E is a vector assumed to be sinusoidal with time with a decaying exponential in space, except with some generous shortcuts:

A) Phasors i.e. complex #s that represents magnitude and phase of E, thus removing time dependence until the E phasor is found, after which you convert it back to the time domain since the phase and magnitude are revealed.
B) The vector lies in the direction of the x, y, or z axis.

Both of these shortcuts in tandem reduce the whole thing to a 2nd degree ODE (one variable) that is trivial to solve with techniques learned in calc AB. Makes me feel smart as a non-mathematician solving 2nd order PDEs symbolically instead of numerically :-p
 
I'm in multi right now, feels super snooze since it's just the same calculus rules but your functions are in 3D. Pretty graphs though. Also partials feel like cheating.

Looking forward to linear algebra next quarter since apparently it's useful for coding which is something I feel I should get into.

Basically taking every math class I'm allowed to take at community college and hoping to transfer somewhere once I decide to make decisions about long term careers, like engineering or actuary work. Goal was to talk to people in different fields after this quarter was over and ask them best course of action etc. since that effects whether I might be able to work with a company to pay for better schooling.

Going to be tutoring someone in intermediate algebra during the summer too.

Also I'm reading a book about deep space propulsion so that might effect my world view.

This is me letting you guys know I'll be lurking reading all your posts and you're all cool people and hi Blazade
 

Diophantine

Banned deucer.
Hey. So a large part of my life has been centered around being involved in the Math community and I'm curious to see how far that extends into Smogon.

On the pure math side I'm interested in the Algebra side of things, particularly Commutative Algebra and Algebraic Geometry. On the applied side I'm getting into Game Theory and Machine Learning in my spare time and I'm enjoying it.

I've also gotten really involved in the community at large, more important than just talking about our research interests I figure we could use this thread to talk about the lighter side of things. For instance I worked at MoMath: the Museum of Mathematics as it was under construction in New York, running exhibits and doing office work. I tutor and teach, and some of my most rewarding experiences have been working at MathPath and Epsilon Camp with gifted kids. I've had a hand in running lectures and giving them and I ran the Math Club at University. Finally I've been around the block as far as math competitions are concerned, I've done lots of High School competition and the Putnam Exam in college and organized successful high school tournaments.

So here are some questions to get the ball rolling.

If you're involved in research math, teaching, or a math related field, what kind of stuff are you interested in?

Have you seen a lecture, a Youtube video, or read something cool in passing?
Don't be afraid to share it or talk about what you want even if you aren't serious about math.

Do you like math competitions or even commonly studied games like Chess or Go?

Are you learning math and not sure about what to expect or struggling with something?
Feel free to ask any questions of your own!

The Serious Tag isn't on this thread for a reason. Math is amazing but overwhelmingly seen as not very relatable. Feel free to contribute anything, there's no judgement here.
If you're involved in research math, teaching, or a math related field, what kind of stuff are you interested in? Number Theory, Calculus and Geometry at the moment :) Looking to get into (ew) stats coz that's probably gonna prove quite useful for me.

Have you seen a lecture, a Youtube video, or read something cool in passing? Read Solving Mathematical Problems by Terrance Tao. He wrote it when he was 15! It was very helpful.

Do you like math competitions or even commonly studied games like Chess or Go? I did the British Maths Olympiad in school for several years and absolutely loved it! It was a bit daunting at first, being the only person I knew doing it, but I did pretty well. My first round was always strong, but the second/final round was very tough (but kinda doable). A lot of fun though. I can play Chess but I've never "studied" it. Never played Go. I haven't learnt any of the openings or common moves or anything like that. I only ever play casually, where I let intuition take over. If anyone here would like to teach me, that would be awesome!

Are you learning math and not sure about what to expect or struggling with something? I just finished my first year at university and my passion for it has declined. I'm using this summer to try and find it again (maybe some people here can help me with that!).
 

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