The take out of this talk is: 1. Hard work 2. Practice and practice 3. Accept failure as a normal thing 4. Practice (gather a lot of examples/paper/books and go through it)
To do mathematics is a passion, an obsession, an addiction to explain things in the simplest way possible. In this endeavor, working hard in Maths in a kind of pleasure and torture at the same time.
I sometimes wonder whether it is our educational system that made us feel this way toward our work and whether we would find more fulfillment and creativity in a less competitive environment.
@@sirmclovin9184 education system sucks big time. It's very systematic and boring. The curriculum is important but the approach is very very bad. Nothing exciting.
@@sirmclovin9184 Definitely each one needs to gauge his own well being versus work loads. You don't need to be Terence Tao to work with mathematics, and you don't need to work 12 hours a day absolutely: there are industry applied math positions, smaller universities, even teaching high school math usually leaves plenty of time for mathematical exploration (see the Numberphile maths teacher). As was said, I would guess 80% of the cases Tao (for example) does it for genuine love of the subject matter; of course, part of the time is probably due to obligations, some less interesting problem that needs to be solved, etc. But almost every occupation has that.
I'm a physics graduate student and can relate in so many levels. I realized that to be a professional physicist it also takes a lot of work. It's more than a job, it's a way of life.
Terence Tao makes $669,000 in the year 2019. His university gave him a secretary to help him manage his administrative duties so he has like six hours each day just for math.
he's definitly the EXCEPTION when it comes to 'theoretical/pure mathematicians' Outside of academia, good luck finding a decent paying job. The jobs that do pay well often have more criteria and training beyond what is studies outside the 'gate'
Many people have compensation packages that consist of multiple parts. Tao's case is likely not an exception. For example, even a lowly software engineer can have a base salary, a fringe benefit package, a signing bonus, and stock options. Also true is that the job title of the highest paid public employee often is Coach.
I was reading a book about one of my favourite authors, Raymond Chandler. He talks about learning to write. In a letter to Helga Greene in April of 1957. "A schoolteacher of mine long ago said--- 'You can only learn from the second-raters. The first-raters are out of range: you can't see how they get their effects.' There is a lot of truth in this". I think this applies to math too.
Oh this is deep, I know exactly what you mean. I think in many cases this is true. I have known some great teachers and they aren't always the best mathematicians. I have known a few that are good at both, but more often than that,this is not the case.
AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME!!!! I'm so glad I discovered you here on TH-cam!!! You're my kind of math wiz!! This video gives me renewed hope for my own recreational math work. You see, Math Sorcerer, I'm 53 years old, I have autism, I live on Social Security and spend all my days at home. I also have a huge library of math books that have pleased me over the years and I've used math to stimulate my brain which is so important to me being an autistic. So your advice here in this video is really very inspiring and helpful to me.
I especially agree with the last two traits of mathematicians! To show students that even mathematicians make mistakes is very encouraging for students to keep trying, and not worry about the outcome. Some professionals are afraid of being challenged, seemed not productive or open-minded that way. Good discussion topic today! :)-
@@dollarbill8959 CS isn't but physics? That's debatable because i find math relatively easier. Or maybe because I'm more into math and i find it interesting.
I have a math exam a day after tomorrow, and I need to cram things out. This was helpful, gave me more motivation and made math less intimadating. Thank you for this!
I’d like to add that mathematicians also work together; I’m pretty sure Andrew Wiles, after figuring out his first proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem didn’t work, enlisted the help of other colleagues to fix it. Great video!
@@alexanderluo Ah? Then you are wrong since Wiles is the author of proof of Taniyama-Shimura. That is exactly his great contribution. All the rest was done long before Wiles in mid 80ies.
I’d argue that if you work hard enough kn something you’ll end up remembering quite a bit about it; there are a a lot of intellectuals who don’t have “excellent” memories
This is a good video. I was recently reading a biography about Gregori Perelman. Perelman was expected to get the fields medal around the time that Terrance was suppose too. Perelman said that he thought Tao's contributions were not sufficient. I didn't look at it as if though it was undermining Terance, because some of us could work our whole lifes and never catch up to Terance, but it spoke to me in terms of how hard it must have been to crack the Poincare conjecture. I'd be happy with a mathematical career successful enough to understand the perelman proof. His proof looks Alien. I down loaded the Topology without tears book. I orderd one of the advanced calculus book you recommended also, and as recommended I'm going to brush up on set theory. If I continue on this path I should understand his proof in no time. Also as a hobby I'm learning Python to see how it applies to machine learning.
“If I continue on this path I should understand his proof in no time” ummm mate I don’t think you realise the difficulty difference between set theory and the Poincaré conjecture 😂 there’s a video on number theory that shows a math professor talking about how the proof was far beyond him and his colleagues so I wouldn’t get too ambitious bud
@@CH-zw2gm Honestly that's a fair assumption. It will take me years of training to understand even the first couple of pages of the proof let alone the other 328 pages of the proof that are on a monsters level. Of course which can be downloaded for free. I'll probably never reach it, but it would be worth giving it a shot.
I feel crazy to imagine a proof that requires 39 pages, the first proof that i saw was the reason why the square root of two can not be rational, for this is enough less than half of a page. Sorry if i maked a grammar mistake.
I m currently in university taking analysis II and I m struggling so much, I m so bad, I dont even know how I passed analysis I in the first place. This motivates me that if I work hard I can still manage to get through this course... Its just really rough when you re unable to do harder derivations and integrations and don`t understand 95% of the lecture...
The best part of being a math grad student is when your professors give you homework problems and they don't show you how to do it and you don't know how to do it, but then they somehow expect you to be able to do it.
Being a mathematician sounds lonely. I can't name any friends who actually understand math or find it interesting. It's just that tedious subject they try to get over with and forget about. Everything you say is true though. Gotta live and breathe math. It's like playing an instrument.
I think it's how people view math or perceive it,generally people struggle at math,many do and those who don't actually may be seen as better and it may cause insecurity in those who can't so it could make it lonely.(Again what I believe).
I feel you bro, I struggle to be friends with people who are not into mathematics and physics hihi. They just don't think that these fields are interesting. I really love someone who knows what I am saying.
@@roswelcodiep.bernardo7288 The thing that probably annoys me the most is friends who consider me to be some "gifted genius" because I got me degrees in Math. They are under the impression that math is some innate natural gift that II was blessed with. Then I explain to them that its really not any kind of "gift" and that it came via lots and lots of hard work, study, practice, failure and disappointment and well as successes, etc. Somehow though they don't seem to understand this, even after I explain it, and continue envisioning it as some gift that I was blessed with.
Came across this video by chance and i think your message is on point. Do know that this video is appreciated especially by a young person like me, who’s just starting out in life and is trying to figure out what in terms of profession works for them.
LOL wtf I legit come out of hospital after attempting from the stress of my maths exam and this comes on my reccomended when I've legit given up lmaoooooo is this a calling?
Hope you're ok. I graduated in Math ten years ago and I understand. One bit of advice from the future is this: don't set yourself up to fail for the sake of pre-conceived ideas regarding your own abilities/capabilities and horizons. Please read that sentence again. This world only allows winners to succeed, irrespective of the difficulty of the field. Someone with an IQ of 115 could struggle at math and live a life of horror and poverty. On the other hand, had that person chosen to start their own bakery business or became an electrical fitter running their own business, they would live a less stressed and more stable life with a greater sense of purpose. If I had my time again, I would not have gone to college/university. If I was running the country, I would put students into classes based on their IQ scores, not on tests that may or may not correlate with IQ. On graduating from high school, students will have been fairly educated according to their ability, ready for either trade, business or academic careers. It's ok to let go of unrealistic pressure, but do it in an informed way. Get an IQ test and know where you stand, then work forward from there. Remember that you aren't closing a door on a possible reality if that reality was never to be. There are a multitude of other parallel universes where you will be infinitely happier.
@Callum Dunne How would you classify people based on IQ? Anyone under 100 straight to fieldwork, around 120 to teaching and leading, over 130 locked in a dungeon to try and solve the hardest scientific problems that would benefit humankind?
DDDUUUUDDEEEE you are the math treasure!! I’ve been on my math journey after self studying to get back into school and I do well and what you say is so encouraging and I find it to be very true in what I’ve seen so far so thank you for this video! I actually have a playlist for when I get down about math and this is goin in there!
There is something about the way you tell a story about the math world which makes it interesting. Wonder how far this channel will go in the years to come.
I think trait 3 is probably the most important yet underrated trait in maths and science. I did research in organic chemistry during my undergraduate studies and failed at least fifty times before succeeding on my very last attempt on the very last day of my rotation. I could not explain it but it did develop mastery of the protocol. The results demonstrated instability which could be shown using the Poincaire-Bendixon theorem.
Was an arts student, now fate had brought me to computer science. Your channel made me realised what i had been doing wrong for years, i didnt put enough time in math. Also my part time job in sales was enlightening, i rather do 60 hours of math a week than do that ever again. Thanks
I don't know much about higher level math but what makes it cool for me is there's a level of perfection (Which most other subjects seem to lack) in it, ye know?
Hey thanks! I'm going back to college in January and I'm preparing myself for math class because it is a challenging subject for me. I'm shooting for As in math. You're really putting this in perspective for me. I appreciate you.
Yes, very helpful. In my life, I have had to accept that I could not be a mathematician. This video helped me understand why, because I do not have these characteristics over the long term. I have had some of them, but only for short periods of a few months at most. So for example I would not have been able to accept devoting my whole life to mathematics. I am interested in other things as well.
It might be difficult, but heck it is the most awesome subject in life. Math is incredibly rewarding. It is awesome to be constantly thinking in math. I remember that once I was in the shower totally naked and somehow an idea that I couldn't understand at the time finally clicked. Math inspiration can come in the weirdest of the contexts!!
Examples but also counterexamples. Counterexamples tell people what's wrong if some restrictions are lifted. For example, for a positive function f on R and the integral from 0 to infinity converges, normally one would think, well, f converges to 0 then , or at least it is bounded. But the answer is no. It can be unbounded. (For a concrete example, take f=x/(1+x^6*sin^2(x))) for x >= 0 and check it out!) Keep considering counterexamples prevents math people from being mentally lazy.
Thanks for this informative and somewhat comforting video! I'm in the process of trying to become a professional physicist and was wondering if you knew a similar video/reference to this here applicable to physics? I assume maths and physics have quite some things in common as disciplines, but then again have their own traits and peculiarities. Edit: I don't know how the situation is in maths, but in physics the publish-or-perish mantra really feels like a sword of Damocles hanging over one's career ambitions. It seems people really believe the worth of contributions can be measured in number of citations per time interval. Also, maybe a question applicable to both maths and physics: How can I know if I'm good enough at it to continue and have reasonable chances of not ending up unemployed at old age after years in temporary contracts?
I have a first degree in maths but as an average student chose a career as a software engineer. I think you missed one important trait. Every successful mathematician uses the right half of his brain. After all maths is an arts subject. Of course, it is true as you mentioned that there is a lot of hard work involved and for the most part the research involved requires logical thinking and deduction. But the final insight invariably comes from the imagination. Archimedes wasn't sitting at his desk when he discovered the displacement of water, he supposedly jumped out of his bath and ran naked through the street. Hamilton solved his puzzling problem with hypercomplex numbers while crossing a bridge with his wife. Ramanujan claimed his formulas were given to him by divine guidance. This last is a little fanciful but I have experienced something similar myself. Nothing very spectacular. On you tube I had recently been reminded about the story of the young Gauss adding the numbers from 1-100 within a few seconds. The method is very well known and taught to most ten or eleven years olds. I woke up the following morning with a completely different method. I was well aware that a number of methods exist to add sequences but this method came completely out of the blue and I had never seen it before. I think most school kids could have some success and satisfaction with maths if they were actually allowed to do maths, rather than been forced to learn pointless formulae. I also disagree that you don't learn maths by doing a lot of examples, you learn maths by understanding what you are doing and why. Probably one or two examples per subject would suffice.
Thanks for putting this here!!! I am 17 yr old and by no means a judge but an avg student. I am curious to know what fomula or algorithm have you just figured out. You may refuse to answer my lil question but it would a mean a world to me if a professional does consider my begging. :) Hope you will respond!!
@@ycombinator765 Well I don't consider myself a mathematical professional although I have a B.Sc. Special degree in the subject. I was an average student and became a Computer Software Engineer which suited my abilities. The point I was trying to make was mainly that mathematic students should be allowed to explore concepts for themselves rather than just being given formula to learn. Formulae themselves are not necessarily bad since they can provide useful shortcuts. For example Pythagoras is something you learn quite early and it is very useful to know. (I also found it more or less impossible to forget). The point is that anyone who knows a formula should be able to derive it from first principles. This can be encouraged by the teacher when the topic is first introduced. In the case of the Gauss example, the idea that he found a quick method to sum 1 to 100 could be introduced without defining the method. The students could then explore possibilities with hints where necessary from the teacher. Summations is one of the most important topics in mathematics and a good deal of time could be usefully spent on this topic. As far as the actual method I found, I was looking specifically to sum 1 to 100. There are a number of generic methods available for summing arithmetic progressions which you may have come across. But it occurred to me that you could split this specific problem into 10s. That is: 0 to 9, 10-19, 20 to 29 etc. In each case you can form n*10*10 plus the summation of 0-9. A simple pattern emerges and from this it is quite easy to form the summation from 1 to 100. The child Gauss was known to be a mental prodigy, and I am wondering whether he in fact found this method rather than the method normally attributed to him. As I mentioned this is not particularly spectacular but what surprised me was that it came to me completely out of the blue without any conscious fore thought.
Thank you so much for these insights. I always felt almost guilty when I went to the library to find other books about what I was learning in particular classes, because there might be things I just didn’t understand from the assigned textbook. I figured I just wasn’t smart enough and had to look for other explanations, in the hope that somewhere, somehow I’d finally understand.
My math classes are the only ones I enjoy (including physics), I’m very passionate about my math classes and I sometimes put more time into them then what is considered necessary. It also hits me hard when I make mistakes in math though, but I just keep going, learning from the mistakes to approach an answer. Ive just realized over the years of school that I gravitate toward math and hard sciences, and I’m excited to be studying it in university.
Yes sir, i am realized that mathematics lesson is hard for me, it is begine when i studying in elementary school till university grade, i often feel strugle in mathematics learning, especially in topology, abstract geometry, and many branch of mathematics, so i realized begine now that mathematics is difficult subject for me
Well shit, I seem to have that one nailed down already. Only the extremely hard working part to go. I was getting places with that a while back till I hit a rough patch.
Four traits of successful mathematicians summary: 1. Hard work 2. Practice and solve tons of various examples/problems 3. Accept failure as a normal thing 4. gather as many papers/books/sources/researches/references as possible on a topic
I always ask my Tutoring Clients and Younger Colleages if they play sports or music, etc. I remind them that practice in those activities is what improved their performance; learning Math and Physics is the same deal. Blood, sweat & tears is the "Magic Wand"; nothing beats concentrated effort. You'll be surprised by how often the light bulb clicks on after doing the work!
@@TheMathSorcerer During both Undergrad & Grad School, my classmates & I would organize "Problem Set Parties" where we would discuss problems before completing our individual assignments. We would argue about the Physics and/or Mathematics to arrive at a general approach before writing up our own solutions.
i want to become a mathematician after university and im in year 11 right now, i would do like 6 hours+ of maths but people say i could be like ‘overworking’ so im not sure how much i should do a day
Isn't it true for being good at any job! Live your passion, put in hours/effort, learn from (and possibly fix) your mistakes, and use all the resources you can gather. No need to be cocky about it!
I read a biography about Newton, and at first he had a hard time understanding some math books. I thought he would never have difficulties in matters related to mathematics. I was surprised!!!
I am 39yr old I have done well in math since 2018 I qm 39 now and iv reignited my willingness to learn and my passion for math I was intrested in physics and I was going to learn as much chemistry as possible but I really love the maths and I think ill stick to math and do the chemistry and physics later because would getting through from a-z of math beginner to advance take a whole life time to accomplish?
Maths hard or easy that depends on what's method use? If you use Smart Formula or Smart Concept, the hard question getting to easier. If you use text book complicated method, easier question getting to hard.
To be a professional Mathematician: "Study the Masters & NOT the Pupils!" - Neils Hendrik Abel One of the most inspirational quotes from a gifted genius, who did just that, but sadly died way too young before his work & his name became reknowned.
The take out of this talk is:
1. Hard work
2. Practice and practice
3. Accept failure as a normal thing
4. Practice (gather a lot of examples/paper/books and go through it)
5. have autist tendencies
@@marc8239 i got that too
To do mathematics is a passion, an obsession, an addiction to explain things in the simplest way possible. In this endeavor, working hard in Maths in a kind of pleasure and torture at the same time.
I sometimes wonder whether it is our educational system that made us feel this way toward our work and whether we would find more fulfillment and creativity in a less competitive environment.
@@sirmclovin9184 education system sucks big time. It's very systematic and boring. The curriculum is important but the approach is very very bad. Nothing exciting.
You gotta watch this: th-cam.com/video/B8izRLUdEPA/w-d-xo.html
@Juan Exactly the same feeling!
@@sirmclovin9184 Definitely each one needs to gauge his own well being versus work loads. You don't need to be Terence Tao to work with mathematics, and you don't need to work 12 hours a day absolutely: there are industry applied math positions, smaller universities, even teaching high school math usually leaves plenty of time for mathematical exploration (see the Numberphile maths teacher). As was said, I would guess 80% of the cases Tao (for example) does it for genuine love of the subject matter; of course, part of the time is probably due to obligations, some less interesting problem that needs to be solved, etc. But almost every occupation has that.
Imagine how cool it is when you tell someone you're a "professional mathematician"
Hehe
Imagine how cool is it when you discover nature's secret by Mathematics
Dude ngl but that's a super cool flex.
RIGHT ON !!
@@Ethiopianexposer Guess what
How to be a succesful mathematicians :
Step 1 : Have the haircut of Newton
Lol
What about Einstein's? LOL !!!!
𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘐𝘘 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳. 160
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 of the proofs you do are wrong and you can’t seem to get it right
lol or hairdo
You are very appreciated.Little people know about the true essence of math.
👍
Great list. to quote the paper chase "You've gotta work like hell, that's no joke."
Pretty much!
I'm a physics graduate student and can relate in so many levels. I realized that to be a professional physicist it also takes a lot of work. It's more than a job, it's a way of life.
Terence Tao makes $669,000 in the year 2019. His university gave him a secretary to help him manage his administrative duties so he has like six hours each day just for math.
he's definitly the EXCEPTION when it comes to 'theoretical/pure mathematicians'
Outside of academia, good luck finding a decent paying job.
The jobs that do pay well often have more criteria and training beyond what is studies outside the 'gate'
How he earn such lot of money ?
Wow!!
Many people have compensation packages that consist of multiple parts. Tao's case is likely not an exception. For example, even a lowly software engineer can have a base salary, a fringe benefit package, a signing bonus, and stock options. Also true is that the job title of the highest paid public employee often is Coach.
@@arijitmajumder2638 you can look it up. Is online being made public. He is a field medalist, that is probably how.
In my head I first heard “They teach a couple classes and then they do meth. So meth is like a regular part of their lives”. I thought it was funny.
Yeah. Imagine how disappointed some of my subscribers must be when they realize what my channel is about.
not really...
Erodos had a pretty gnarly riddalin habit so that’s not entirely wrong lol.
They are the ones who knock!
Math*
I was reading a book about one of my favourite authors, Raymond Chandler. He talks about learning to write. In a letter to Helga Greene in April of 1957. "A schoolteacher of mine long ago said--- 'You can only learn from the second-raters. The first-raters are out of range: you can't see how they get their effects.' There is a lot of truth in this".
I think this applies to math too.
Oh this is deep, I know exactly what you mean. I think in many cases this is true. I have known some great teachers and they aren't always the best mathematicians. I have known a few that are good at both, but more often than that,this is not the case.
May I ask what the name of this book is? Thanks
@@bradleyli1569 The book is "The World of Raymond Chandler" Edited by Barry Day. The quote is on page 28. Hope this helps.
AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME!!!! I'm so glad I discovered you here on TH-cam!!! You're my kind of math wiz!! This video gives me renewed hope for my own recreational math work. You see, Math Sorcerer, I'm 53 years old, I have autism, I live on Social Security and spend all my days at home. I also have a huge library of math books that have pleased me over the years and I've used math to stimulate my brain which is so important to me being an autistic. So your advice here in this video is really very inspiring and helpful to me.
Oh wow!!! That is awesome that you do math on your own, keep at it:)
Thank you, @@TheMathSorcerer!! I will!!! :) :) :)
Good luck to you 💯
Thank you much,@@yevonnaelandrew9553!! :) :) :)
@@pinedelgado4743 ok keep it up
I especially agree with the last two traits of mathematicians! To show students that even mathematicians make mistakes is very encouraging for students to keep trying, and not worry about the outcome. Some professionals are afraid of being challenged, seemed not productive or open-minded that way. Good discussion topic today! :)-
this is helpful, most math geeks will be proud to scare anyone who is not math gifted.
I'm currently pursuing a triple major BS degree in Math, Physics and CS. I guess my scream of frustration is audible.
Jack of all trades, master of none.
@@dollarbill8959 true. But i put extra effort on math.
@@subhasdh2446 math is your only problem. Physics and CS themselves are not so hard as math.
@@dollarbill8959 CS isn't but physics? That's debatable because i find math relatively easier. Or maybe because I'm more into math and i find it interesting.
@@subhasdh2446 maybe you are right, I know nothing about physics, but only that it describes the laws of nature by means of math.
The content about math you put out is incredible! You are an inspiring person and full of wonderful wisdom!
Thank you!
I have a math exam a day after tomorrow, and I need to cram things out. This was helpful, gave me more motivation and made math less intimadating. Thank you for this!
This has become my new life goal. Currently planning on going back for my Master's in Applied Math and then a PhD in Pure Math
I’d like to add that mathematicians also work together; I’m pretty sure Andrew Wiles, after figuring out his first proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem didn’t work, enlisted the help of other colleagues to fix it. Great video!
Good point!!!!!!
more so, wiles depended on a conjecture that had only recently been "proved" to complete his proof.
@@carlosgaspar8447 Which conjecture do You mean specifically? Is it the Frey curve business or something else? Asking because genuinely interested.
@@u.v.s.5583 It was the Taniyama-Shimura conjecture
@@alexanderluo Ah? Then you are wrong since Wiles is the author of proof of Taniyama-Shimura. That is exactly his great contribution. All the rest was done long before Wiles in mid 80ies.
Also just generally excellent memories aswell.
I’d argue that if you work hard enough kn something you’ll end up remembering quite a bit about it; there are a a lot of intellectuals who don’t have “excellent” memories
This is a good video. I was recently reading a biography about Gregori Perelman. Perelman was expected to get the fields medal around the time that Terrance was suppose too. Perelman said that he thought Tao's contributions were not sufficient. I didn't look at it as if though it was undermining Terance, because some of us could work our whole lifes and never catch up to Terance, but it spoke to me in terms of how hard it must have been to crack the Poincare conjecture. I'd be happy with a mathematical career successful enough to understand the perelman proof. His proof looks Alien. I down loaded the Topology without tears book. I orderd one of the advanced calculus book you recommended also, and as recommended I'm going to brush up on set theory. If I continue on this path I should understand his proof in no time. Also as a hobby I'm learning Python to see how it applies to machine learning.
Dang I knew Tao was famous but not that famous. He was teaching across from my classroom last year, should have taken a selife with him or something.
“If I continue on this path I should understand his proof in no time” ummm mate I don’t think you realise the difficulty difference between set theory and the Poincaré conjecture 😂 there’s a video on number theory that shows a math professor talking about how the proof was far beyond him and his colleagues so I wouldn’t get too ambitious bud
@@CH-zw2gm Honestly that's a fair assumption. It will take me years of training to understand even the first couple of pages of the proof let alone the other 328 pages of the proof that are on a monsters level. Of course which can be downloaded for free. I'll probably never reach it, but it would be worth giving it a shot.
@@kchannel5317 aye that’s the spirit
I feel crazy to imagine a proof that requires 39 pages, the first proof that i saw was the reason why the square root of two can not be rational, for this is enough less than half of a page.
Sorry if i maked a grammar mistake.
great thanks for your persistence each digit matters
Always good to be grounded in real conversation about any matter of importance. Thank You.
I m currently in university taking analysis II and I m struggling so much, I m so bad, I dont even know how I passed analysis I in the first place.
This motivates me that if I work hard I can still manage to get through this course... Its just really rough when you re unable to do harder derivations and integrations and don`t understand 95% of the lecture...
good luck:)
I think this is true for a great ANYTHING. If you're constantly fixated on the one true goal of yours, success and purpose cant hide for long.
The best part of being a math grad student is when your professors give you homework problems and they don't show you how to do it and you don't know how to do it, but then they somehow expect you to be able to do it.
Being a mathematician sounds lonely. I can't name any friends who actually understand math or find it interesting. It's just that tedious subject they try to get over with and forget about. Everything you say is true though. Gotta live and breathe math. It's like playing an instrument.
I think it's how people view math or perceive it,generally people struggle at math,many do and those who don't actually may be seen as better and it may cause insecurity in those who can't so it could make it lonely.(Again what I believe).
Math is a complex subject with problems from various fields such as matrice theory,algebra,calculus,topology,square roots,trigonometry,topology etc.
But it's mainly the effort and how you understand the subject
I feel you bro, I struggle to be friends with people who are not into mathematics and physics hihi. They just don't think that these fields are interesting. I really love someone who knows what I am saying.
@@roswelcodiep.bernardo7288 The thing that probably annoys me the most is friends who consider me to be some "gifted genius" because I got me degrees in Math. They are under the impression that math is some innate natural gift that II was blessed with. Then I explain to them that its really not any kind of "gift" and that it came via lots and lots of hard work, study, practice, failure and disappointment and well as successes, etc. Somehow though they don't seem to understand this, even after I explain it, and continue envisioning it as some gift that I was blessed with.
Came across this video by chance and i think your message is on point. Do know that this video is appreciated especially by a young person like me, who’s just starting out in life and is trying to figure out what in terms of profession works for them.
👍
My lifelong dream is to become the first ghetto mathematician. 🙌🏾
Awesome!
Ramanujan did just that. He lived in extreme poverty in a city in India, and learned all his mathematics from a list of theorems.
LOL wtf I legit come out of hospital after attempting from the stress of my maths exam and this comes on my reccomended when I've legit given up lmaoooooo is this a calling?
LOL wow!
Hope you're ok. I graduated in Math ten years ago and I understand. One bit of advice from the future is this: don't set yourself up to fail for the sake of pre-conceived ideas regarding your own abilities/capabilities and horizons. Please read that sentence again. This world only allows winners to succeed, irrespective of the difficulty of the field. Someone with an IQ of 115 could struggle at math and live a life of horror and poverty. On the other hand, had that person chosen to start their own bakery business or became an electrical fitter running their own business, they would live a less stressed and more stable life with a greater sense of purpose. If I had my time again, I would not have gone to college/university. If I was running the country, I would put students into classes based on their IQ scores, not on tests that may or may not correlate with IQ. On graduating from high school, students will have been fairly educated according to their ability, ready for either trade, business or academic careers. It's ok to let go of unrealistic pressure, but do it in an informed way. Get an IQ test and know where you stand, then work forward from there. Remember that you aren't closing a door on a possible reality if that reality was never to be. There are a multitude of other parallel universes where you will be infinitely happier.
@@TheMathSorcerer That's not a constructive response for someone in this situation now, is it!
@Callum Dunne How would you classify people based on IQ? Anyone under 100 straight to fieldwork, around 120 to teaching and leading, over 130 locked in a dungeon to try and solve the hardest scientific problems that would benefit humankind?
@@InvincibleAirman doesn't have to be a dungeon, though I hear a lot of them do like that sort of thing...
Being a simple man who loves math I think you are inspiring, but I don`t think a real math genius would have this same approach having sincerity.
DDDUUUUDDEEEE you are the math treasure!! I’ve been on my math journey after self studying to get back into school and I do well and what you say is so encouraging and I find it to be very true in what I’ve seen so far so thank you for this video! I actually have a playlist for when I get down about math and this is goin in there!
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There is something about the way you tell a story about the math world which makes it interesting. Wonder how far this channel will go in the years to come.
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this made me feel a lot better about struggling with my maths degree!! thank you
You are welcome!
I think trait 3 is probably the most important yet underrated trait in maths and science. I did research in organic chemistry during my undergraduate studies and failed at least fifty times before succeeding on my very last attempt on the very last day of my rotation. I could not explain it but it did develop mastery of the protocol. The results demonstrated instability which could be shown using the Poincaire-Bendixon theorem.
Was an arts student, now fate had brought me to computer science. Your channel made me realised what i had been doing wrong for years, i didnt put enough time in math. Also my part time job in sales was enlightening, i rather do 60 hours of math a week than do that ever again. Thanks
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Came across this video by chance,you seem very passionate about mathematics +100 Respect to you sir
I don't know much about higher level math but what makes it cool for me is there's a level of perfection (Which most other subjects seem to lack) in it, ye know?
believe or not sir but you are my biggest mathematician inspiration after Ramanujan .thanks a lot for your advice and lots of love from Nepal
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Awesome video, almost like a therapy session.
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Hey thanks! I'm going back to college in January and I'm preparing myself for math class because it is a challenging subject for me. I'm shooting for As in math. You're really putting this in perspective for me. I appreciate you.
Thanks you for letting me know this day.
Yes, very helpful. In my life, I have had to accept that I could not be a mathematician. This video helped me understand why, because I do not have these characteristics over the long term. I have had some of them, but only for short periods of a few months at most. So for example I would not have been able to accept devoting my whole life to mathematics. I am interested in other things as well.
Mathematics is like e subject connected , mathematics is like a infinity it is never be ended.so be curious about different and new problems..
5) having absolutely no distinction in their handwriting between the letters m-n, u-v, k-b-h
Lol
That confirms what i thought. Now to get there.
You are such an inspiration.respect from NE corner of India(Manipur)
Great video thanks a lot
Cool video! Another important trait, that I believe professional research mathematicians have, is that they collaborate with other mathematicians.
Three topics I've liked in a row, take my subscribe.
It might be difficult, but heck it is the most awesome subject in life. Math is incredibly rewarding. It is awesome to be constantly thinking in math. I remember that once I was in the shower totally naked and somehow an idea that I couldn't understand at the time finally clicked. Math inspiration can come in the weirdest of the contexts!!
Thank you very much man. I needed this video as a type of motivation
you are welcome!
I am creative and right brained and was good at math until Analysis and Calculus. They had me go to places I didn’t want to go or didn’t know how to.
Examples but also counterexamples. Counterexamples tell people what's wrong if some restrictions are lifted. For example, for a positive function f on R and the integral from 0 to infinity converges, normally one would think, well, f converges to 0 then , or at least it is bounded. But the answer is no. It can be unbounded. (For a concrete example, take f=x/(1+x^6*sin^2(x))) for x >= 0 and check it out!)
Keep considering counterexamples prevents math people from being mentally lazy.
You inspire me to keep working hard in my real analysis course, thank you!
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Thankyou.
Thanks for this informative and somewhat comforting video! I'm in the process of trying to become a professional physicist and was wondering if you knew a similar video/reference to this here applicable to physics? I assume maths and physics have quite some things in common as disciplines, but then again have their own traits and peculiarities. Edit: I don't know how the situation is in maths, but in physics the publish-or-perish mantra really feels like a sword of Damocles hanging over one's career ambitions. It seems people really believe the worth of contributions can be measured in number of citations per time interval. Also, maybe a question applicable to both maths and physics: How can I know if I'm good enough at it to continue and have reasonable chances of not ending up unemployed at old age after years in temporary contracts?
I have a first degree in maths but as an average student chose a career as a software engineer. I think you missed one important trait. Every successful mathematician uses the right half of his brain. After all maths is an arts subject. Of course, it is true as you mentioned that there is a lot of hard work involved and for the most part the research involved requires logical thinking and deduction. But the final insight invariably comes from the imagination. Archimedes wasn't sitting at his desk when he discovered the displacement of water, he supposedly jumped out of his bath and ran naked through the street. Hamilton solved his puzzling problem with hypercomplex numbers while crossing a bridge with his wife. Ramanujan claimed his formulas were given to him by divine guidance. This last is a little fanciful but I have experienced something similar myself. Nothing very spectacular. On you tube I had recently been reminded about the story of the young Gauss adding the numbers from 1-100 within a few seconds. The method is very well known and taught to most ten or eleven years olds. I woke up the following morning with a completely different method. I was well aware that a number of methods exist to add sequences but this method came completely out of the blue and I had never seen it before. I think most school kids could have some success and satisfaction with maths if they were actually allowed to do maths, rather than been forced to learn pointless formulae. I also disagree that you don't learn maths by doing a lot of examples, you learn maths by understanding what you are doing and why. Probably one or two examples per subject would suffice.
Thanks for putting this here!!!
I am 17 yr old and by no means a judge but an avg student. I am curious to know what fomula or algorithm have you just figured out. You may refuse to answer my lil question but it would a mean a world to me if a professional does consider my begging. :)
Hope you will respond!!
@@ycombinator765 Well I don't consider myself a mathematical professional although I have a B.Sc. Special degree in the subject. I was an average student and became a Computer Software Engineer which suited my abilities. The point I was trying to make was mainly that mathematic students should be allowed to explore concepts for themselves rather than just being given formula to learn. Formulae themselves are not necessarily bad since they can provide useful shortcuts. For example Pythagoras is something you learn quite early and it is very useful to know. (I also found it more or less impossible to forget). The point is that anyone who knows a formula should be able to derive it from first principles. This can be encouraged by the teacher when the topic is first introduced. In the case of the Gauss example, the idea that he found a quick method to sum 1 to 100 could be introduced without defining the method. The students could then explore possibilities with hints where necessary from the teacher. Summations is one of the most important topics in mathematics and a good deal of time could be usefully spent on this topic. As far as the actual method I found, I was looking specifically to sum 1 to 100. There are a number of generic methods available for summing arithmetic progressions which you may have come across. But it occurred to me that you could split this specific problem into 10s. That is: 0 to 9, 10-19, 20 to 29 etc. In each case you can form n*10*10 plus the summation of 0-9. A simple pattern emerges and from this it is quite easy to form the summation from 1 to 100. The child Gauss was known to be a mental prodigy, and I am wondering whether he in fact found this method rather than the method normally attributed to him. As I mentioned this is not particularly spectacular but what surprised me was that it came to me completely out of the blue without any conscious fore thought.
why does this man never run out of ideas hahaha you're superman! :3
Lol
Thank you so much for these insights. I always felt almost guilty when I went to the library to find other books about what I was learning in particular classes, because there might be things I just didn’t understand from the assigned textbook. I figured I just wasn’t smart enough and had to look for other explanations, in the hope that somewhere, somehow I’d finally understand.
Extremely useful video.
My math classes are the only ones I enjoy (including physics), I’m very passionate about my math classes and I sometimes put more time into them then what is considered necessary. It also hits me hard when I make mistakes in math though, but I just keep going, learning from the mistakes to approach an answer. Ive just realized over the years of school that I gravitate toward math and hard sciences, and I’m excited to be studying it in university.
Thanks a lot for this! Very inspiring!
You are welcome !!
Thank you for the motivation sir.
You're amazing, thanx for all these advices
You are welcome!
I needed to see this. Good motivational vid.
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Yes sir, i am realized that mathematics lesson is hard for me, it is begine when i studying in elementary school till university grade, i often feel strugle in mathematics learning, especially in topology, abstract geometry, and many branch of mathematics, so i realized begine now that mathematics is difficult subject for me
You forgot the Most important one! Never going to the hairdresser...
Well shit, I seem to have that one nailed down already. Only the extremely hard working part to go. I was getting places with that a while back till I hit a rough patch.
A lot of people think I'm good at math because I'm smart or practice a lot. But I've never mentioned my secret ingredient... I hate haircuts.
@@SamiShah2004 Now, to progress to the next level, grow a beard. And don't ever cut it, just let it grow. You have no idea what it will do to your IQ.
This is so true, thanks for the encouragement sir isaac newton 😄
Very helpful video.
Thank you newton
You are a great source of inspiration. Hi from ETHL !
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Four traits of successful mathematicians summary:
1. Hard work
2. Practice and solve tons of various examples/problems
3. Accept failure as a normal thing
4. gather as many papers/books/sources/researches/references as possible on a topic
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I always ask my Tutoring Clients and Younger Colleages if they play sports or music, etc.
I remind them that practice in those activities is what improved their performance; learning Math and Physics is the same deal. Blood, sweat & tears is the "Magic Wand"; nothing beats concentrated effort.
You'll be surprised by how often the light bulb clicks on after doing the work!
Yes!!!
@@TheMathSorcerer During both Undergrad & Grad School, my classmates & I would organize "Problem Set Parties" where we would discuss problems before completing our individual assignments. We would argue about the Physics and/or Mathematics to arrive at a general approach before writing up our own solutions.
Nice hehe
I like this guy so much
Thank you very much! Your videos give me inspiration 🔥
You are welcome!!
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great video! thanks :)
Your efforts are greatly admirable with a wonderful vision.
Thank you very much!
same stands for musicians
thanks!
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Thankyou ! Love this
Do you have any videos on making a math notebook or organizing notes for math?
Great video, as always!
Thank you !
Love these videos, keep it up!
Thx😀
Thanks so much. You should write a book!
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You should do a tube on “rigor”. How it stings when you get your paper back and in red ink it states “lacks rigor”! Ouch!
your hair reminds me of Jacob Bernoilli and Johann Bernoulli😀
One main trait of successful mathematicians is being comfortable with feeling lost, stupid, and inferior 98% of the time.
i want to become a mathematician after university and im in year 11 right now, i would do like 6 hours+ of maths but people say i could be like ‘overworking’ so im not sure how much i should do a day
Halmos was onto something. ;)
Isn't it true for being good at any job! Live your passion, put in hours/effort, learn from (and possibly fix) your mistakes, and use all the resources you can gather. No need to be cocky about it!
Check out the following Hip Hop Artists - "Akala" and "Lowkey uk" and "Canibus". Also, George Hotz(loll, he also makes hip hop)
Fermat had a much simpler proof of the Last Theorem, by induction using the binomial theorem.
Patience.
I read a biography about Newton, and at first he had a hard time understanding some math books.
I thought he would never have difficulties in matters related to mathematics.
I was surprised!!!
I am 39yr old I have done well in math since 2018 I qm 39 now and iv reignited my willingness to learn and my passion for math I was intrested in physics and I was going to learn as much chemistry as possible but I really love the maths and I think ill stick to math and do the chemistry and physics later because would getting through from a-z of math beginner to advance take a whole life time to accomplish?
It is not hard work if you enjoy the thrill of the search and subsequent discoveries and understanding.
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Wow, now I get it.
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Maths hard or easy that depends on what's method use? If you use Smart Formula or Smart Concept, the hard question getting to easier. If you use text book complicated method, easier question getting to hard.
th-cam.com/video/7zffWYhN5wg/w-d-xo.html
Very accurate.
I don't like stereotypical videos, however am pleasantly surprised.
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To be a professional Mathematician:
"Study the Masters & NOT the Pupils!" - Neils Hendrik Abel
One of the most inspirational quotes from a gifted genius, who did just that, but sadly died way too young before his work & his name became reknowned.