Nate Barna

I chose all of the above. I may one day grow out of being idealistic, but currently i sort of believe that everyone for whom its possible should strive to be a polymath. There would be less overall consumption, better choices, fewer misunderstandings, more rational discourse, and even better technology.

Hi MandrakeRoot, Yes, i think you’re right, or at least i want to believe you’re right. Coming to understand the formalities of logic and pure mathematics, which is suggested by the Oxford course to be the starting point, i’ve realized is quite different than doing high school math problems where the answer and some vague indication of how that answer was derived were all that really mattered. I believe if it’s possible to survive and understand formality and underlying mathematical assumptions, it could be possible to grasp most mathematical concepts later on. (Although being original is an entirely different matter.) I agree that the “best” textbook thing is ambiguous. I may not always converge to the optimal text, but my method of converging involves first knowing the topic at hand and then receiving indirect suggestions from various uni sites, textbook publishers, and amazon.com. On an unimportant note, i learn best when there are thorough examples and enough problems for each concept or small set of concepts to run the gamut from easy to mind-provoking synthesis.

Dave, this is such an awesome forum.

Great, this really helps me out. Regressing slightly from that particular curriculum, i just received my first book yesterday An Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning by Peter J. Eccles. I bought it because the author suggests that it is a good gateway to uni mathematics. Already in the first chapter, although i found the reading manageable, i couldn’t complete most of the first chapter exercises without referring to the answers in the back. This was quite frustrating because i’d figure i’d at least be able to get through two or three books without getting stuck to the point where no amount of deliberation would get me through the problems on my own. Now that you’ve confirmed that this enterprise would likely be much harder than what it looks i don’t feel so bad. I will take your advice and possibly look into taking some mathematics courses. I basically want to get into business later on, like in about five years, for i can’t help but think that it is vital to have more than a generally-deemed-adequate knowledge base in the physical sciences before i'm excessively pressured into caring about real-world trivialities. Preceding the physical sciences, of course, even at an intermediate level would be strong skills in mathematics. I might ultimately just have to bite the bullet, however, and accept that i might not be made for academia to the extent i think important. Spirits are high though! It looks like you’re very knowledgeable in mathematics. I’ll be careful not to bother you too much, but if i do decide to give it a shot on my own (at least so i can say to myself that i didn’t give up too quickly), then i know there’s always a place to bounce ideas around, even if you wouldn't consider your much appreciated assistance “optimal.”

Hi, I'm considering beginning studying mathematics as an autodidact. For those of you who are knowledgeable in mathematics, i'm hoping you can help me with some of my questions. To give you some background information, i'm thinking of working through this curriculum to the best of my ability. Also, i have studied at a public high school level of calculus, but it is my understanding that, because of this fact, regressing a little might not be a bad idea. 1. Is it unwise or too difficult to pursue mathematics alone (besides having you gals and guys, i mean), given that i'll still be seeking the best textbooks available? 2. Is Philosophy of Mathematics okay to study early on? The curriculum has students waiting until the third and fourth year. (I'm under the unevaluated impression that philosophy is good to know so all that is learned are put in their proper perspectives upon being learned.) 3. Are there better recommendations for studying mathematics in a self-teaching manner? If this kind of situation has already been discussed thoroughly in this forum, just let me know. Sometimes i get overwhelmed with the volume and overlook things. Thanks!

Wow, thanks 5614. I also asked them over at EnglishForums. No one has even read it yet though... Thanks all again for quick and helpful responses.

Thank you. I will try there.

Yeah, that's basically my biggest problem too: i can't figure where the stress goes. But i've noted bloodhound's response and i'm wondering if everyone would agree.

Thanks all. So would the general consensus be a stress of the second syllable?

Hi, I'm trying to figure out how to pronounce "ampliative." Some dictionaries to which i have access either don't have the word, have no pronunciation, or the pronunciation Am"pli*a*tive which i don't know how to interpret. Pronunciations of this form are adequate: AM plee uh tive am PLEE uh tive am plee AY tive Thanks!