what makes a mathematical explanation clear?

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does this vary from person to person?

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 11 December 2003 21:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Depends on wheher you understand the equation in the first place.

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Thursday, 11 December 2003 21:11 (twenty-two years ago)

no if you understand it in the first place it's already clear

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 11 December 2003 21:12 (twenty-two years ago)

it took me a coupla more classes using certain math before i got used to how it worked. First time i encountered wave math in a Theoretical Physics class, i gave up. When I hit that section of an Electromagnetics course a coupla years later, I handled it better.

so, in other words, practice. And patient teaching assistants.

― El Santo Claus (Kingfish), Thursday, 11 December 2003 21:22 (twenty-two years ago)

There's a specific genius to finding a great/clear approach (the "Open University"/textbooks model) and an adaptive one to figure out/intuit how a student isn't getting it, and what will work for them.

I have neither :(

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 11 December 2003 21:38 (twenty-two years ago)

of course it varies! i will post more to this in the morning though when i am not v tired.

― toby (tsg20), Friday, 12 December 2003 00:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Mathematical statements are perfectly clear. Its words that get in the way, mispelled.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 12 December 2003 05:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Can someone define the phrase "prove the equation"? I was talking only yesterday about how through god knows how many years of maths I never understood the concept. It doesn't just mean solve, does it?

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 12 December 2003 10:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Well you don't really prove equations, you prove - or much more satisyingly, disprove theories. the equation may be representing the theory - say the proof of Pythagoras's theorem can easily be represented by proving the equation for Pythagoras holds in all possible situations, or actually that a counter example cannot exist.

The best explainations are ones which aren't smug. It is lovely when the penny drops, but people standing around flapping their arms shouting "its obvious" never helps. Unfortuantely I don't think mathematicians are in a particualrly good position to explain what a clear explaination is.

― Pete (Pete), Friday, 12 December 2003 10:31 (twenty-two years ago)

i don't think i've ever head anyone say "prove the equation"!!

sadly a good maths explanation = one you can understand. being written in decent english (or french, or...) is good, too.

― toby (tsg20), Friday, 12 December 2003 10:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Gah! I know in AO Level maths class we had to prove things left right and centre. Maybe it wasn't equations, but it certainly wasn't theories. I'm not going mad, am I?

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 12 December 2003 13:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 12 December 2003 13:54 (twenty-two years ago)

It was theorems.

― OleM (OleM), Friday, 12 December 2003 15:36 (twenty-two years ago)

it's "conjectures" that you try to prove.

― ken c, Friday, 12 December 2003 15:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Metaphors drawn from practical examples or known referrants work best for me. I am very literal-minded.

― Aimless, Friday, 12 December 2003 18:22 (twenty-two years ago)

well, ISTR geometry problems being called 'proofs'.

― suzy (suzy), Friday, 12 December 2003 18:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Bleach.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 12 December 2003 18:33 (twenty-two years ago)

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