I'm going to disect your argument bit by bit.
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I know I shouldn't respond to this, but I can't help myself.
cool story, bro
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Let's get one thing out of the way, you need to recognize that I know way more about math and physics than you do.
Well, whilst this may be true, I find it more likely to be untrue. Saying such a statement like this to which you don't know the truth is stepping into the unknown- not most true mathematician's styles. Most mathematicians do not try to compare themselves to others because they do not deem necessary. When someone says "I am way better than you" at something often suggests that this is not the case because if it were true, they would not want that person to feel bad without some sort of motive. Saying "I am better than you at math" is a suspect statement at best, because it is hard to quantify how "good" someone is at math. Is it because you have more knowledge than me? That might not mean you are "better" than me. Two different things.
Moreover, if you were "better" than me at math, well...most mathematicians I have met tend to be modest. Don't just blurt out "I am better than you", but the best mathematicians can teach well, and so try to help that person, not demean them.
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Maybe you are not used to meeting people on 2p2 like me
Well, I don't "know" you. A lot of people are "like" you in the sense that they like to argue, but then this is a forum.
Whether or not you are good at maths than me is a completely radically different statement to "people like me".
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but instead of being so arrogant you should think very carefully about what I am trying to tell you.
Please, I like to be proven wrong. This is how I learn.
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I am your elder when it comes to math, and I would appreciate it if you would give the respect that comes with that position.
This only puts further doubt in my mind that you are a "mathematician" of any sort. I have respect for people who try and help me, not people who try and put me in my place when they don't know me.
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It's ironic that you keep harping over Fermat's last theorem; since this is widely considered to be one of the most "useless" results in all of math! The fact that you don't know any applications is not surprising.
Well, FLT play's a fundemental role in number theory, yes. But if anything, it contributes to one's understanding of Beal's conjecture, which I'm sure you're aware is important to money-hungry mathematicians.
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You seem to not understand that math is a subject onto it's own.
You're kind of right, but I think math is far more important than you think it is.
There are a huge number of aspects of math, and many really can be applied to our every day lives. Admittedly, most of these arrise in physics and the natural sciences, but that is to be expected. Differential equations and stats also are the basis for stock broking, population modelling (so that there's no overpopulation etc), and even in food (growth).
Almost certainly, there are areas of math which we can apply, but simply do not know what to apply them to yet. This can only be dealt by luck of discovery, or by some revolution. Who knows.
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Any sort of statement like "the most important thing in math is..." is just a personal opinion; that should be obvious.
Yeah ok.
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It's also very telling that you don't mention the RH, since this is the "standard" answer (i.e. opinion) to the question "what is the most important open problem in math?"
Ummm, maybe it is. I, for one, think solving Physics is more important.
The only consequences I know of the RH is cracking credit cards and stuff online and disrupting the banks and electronics in general I guess. But if you really think that's important compared to the truth behind our universe, and what we can achieve if we know the truth, then you go ahead and think that.
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Sometimes in math we generalize, and go to higher and higher levels of generality; and sometimes we just prove silly theorem's that seemingly have no application whatsoever! Some people are theorists, who build entire theories, other people go around solving specific problems.
Well, that's true for some aspects of math, but Mathematical Physicians, for example, can test their hypotheses in real life using ideas from abstract algebra.
And by "theories", I think you meant "theorems" there. A theory is an unsolved theorem. And people who are able to make new theorems are incredibly clever people. I thought I made a new theorem last year in number theory, but it turned out that that theorem has been covered by a much larger, more significant one, that had actually only been solved a few years ago! There are thousands of mathematical theorems. If someone finds a new one (not a corollary or whatever), then that's amazing if you ask me.
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The idea that analyzing traffic patterns is "the most important thing in math" is silly on it's face;
If I really said that, then that came out wrong. It's not the most important thing in math, quite obviously. However, it would be nice to find a full solution (or set of solutions) that accurately model the fastest route (either per person or for everyone) either from A to B or for the most efficient way everyone can travel together.
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as for fluid mechanics, people have been studying that for 500 years, and i suspect you don't realize that it's sort of a dead subject, except for some highly specialized applications.
Why is it dead, if I'm learning it at university?
Or rather, why am I learning it at university if it's dead?
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Ok, now let's deal with another statement you make that makes no sense. The concept of "solving physics" has no meaning.
Ha! Solving Physics, or more formally "Axiomatize all of Physics" is one of Hilbert's problems for the 20th Century. But there is of course debate as to whether this is even possible. But it probably is.
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If you want to really take math seriously, then you need to be much more careful to make sure everything you say is well defined and precise; even when you're not doing math, it's good practice!
Please don't patronize someone you don't know.
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Alright, I have said this already but this is an important point. I like math because it's fun for me, I enjoy it. I'm not trying to save the world, I'm not trying to be famous ect... it's just a game for me, like poker. I enjoy thinking about the game theory of poker, because I love the game! I am frankly offended that you would come into my thread to try and tell me it's not ok to think about this, because analyzing traffic patterns is more important in your opinion! You can think about traffic patterns if you want, be my guest! I think that is really boring, and I'm going to think about poker instead =)
I don't remember saying that, but if I did I apologize. Didn't mean to offend you or anything. Boring? Why is it boring? I'd say it's pretty exciting trying to optimalize paths and model flow. I find it's like playing God with cars, to try to get them as quickly as possible to their destination. But I don't know much about it so I might be wrong I guess.
And of course I find maths beautiful, that's why I'm studying it.
And you seem to assume a lot about me, without asking any questions. You're just trying to demean me by the sounds of it...you don't sound like much of a mathematician to me. Most mathematicians wouldn't argue the way you have. But then again I only know a few mathematicians, so maybe I'm wrong
Last edited by jewbinson; 09-30-2010 at 07:14 PM.