I can't do math (now what?)

[Black Rose]

At a certain point, my brain stopped working.

I tried to do it by myself, I can't.

Computers can do it.

I can't program computers.

It just seems that it is useless to know math unless you can do stuff with it.

I can't do stuff with math because it won't fit in my head.

Math as a tool can't be used unless you build something.

You cannot build anything with no materials.

So it seems math cannot be used in my case.

I have paper and pens, but what am I supposed to make?

It does not seem like making stuff has any purpose to it.

No design would ever be made and I cannot draw what I think in my head.

 

[Black Rose]

I can sit and think some things.

But I cannot draw it.

 

[dr froyd]

i agree, math cannot be used in your case

now what

 

[birdsnestfern]

You could just keep a calculator on hand too.

And there are simple adding calculators with white roll of paper in them, where you just need to have your fingers on the 456 keys and memorize where they are to add huge sums up.

But you also have excel spreadsheets that are great at adding things on. There are formulas in excel that help you with all sorts of functions too.
Do you have Microsoft Office with excel and word?

 

[scorpiomover]

Maths is a matter of going over things slowly, over and over, until you are sure that your reasoning proves that your answer is possible, and all other answers are not possible.

Then you go over it again, and again, and again, and again, until you are sure that you can explain it to someone else, so well that he will also be sure.

Then you explain it to someone else. If he is sure that you are right, then you go to someone else, and explain it to him. If he is unsure, you go over your reasoning again on paper, and then show it to him and ask him to show you.

You keep doing this, going over and over your work, and showing it to as many people as possible who can point out where you went wrong, until either you know your mistake, or the entire world says you must be right.

It's very painstaking, very laborious, and very humiliating. But it works.

You don't need to be smart to do maths.
You don't even need to do it all at once. You can do a bit, then come back to it later and do a bit more. Time is not a factor in mathematics.

You just need to be willing to work at something over and over, till you can be sure that you are right, and sure enough that you can explain it to others and they will also say you are right.

In other words, maths is mostly a matter of effort.

 

[Black Rose]

z = θCb

z = tree
θ = angle(s)
C = 0 2 1 3 4 2 3 0
b = branch(s)

a tree gets created by starting at zero (root) and then adding c to each branch

a branch may or may not return to the root depending on the angle theta

any return is a self-similarity on any branch

my ability to plot this is limited

 

[dr froyd]

it's a complex subject but to me math and programming are usually different things, because doing math and designing algorithms are usually different things

algorithms are imperative recipes - do A, then do B, etc. Math is more about deducing things within a formal/logical system. The style of thinking can be quite different, and to be clear - most programmers know practically zero math (and for the most part they don't need it, beyond plain arithmetic).

also a lot of programming techniques outside the domain of functional programming violate mathematical principles - for example a function in imperative languages can have side effects and work completely differently than a mathematical function

having said that, being able to reason in a mathematical manner can be good for improving programming skills. Mathematics is all about reducing things to their essence and simplifying things as much as possible.

 

[Black Rose]

Making the most efficient algorithm is a math problem.

I just feel down I cannot do what software engineers do.

Writing software by hand on paper without testing it is hard.

 

[scorpiomover]

z = θCb

z = tree
θ = angle(s)
C = 0 2 1 3 4 2 3 0
b = branch(s)

a tree gets created by starting at zero (root) and then adding c to each branch

a branch may or may not return to the root depending on the angle theta

any return is a self-similarity on any branch

my ability to plot this is limited

Not surprised.

You've put in some work into this, which is good.

What you've written might make sense to you. But it is not clear, not in any way that anyone else can read and understand clearly from your words.

So it's a first draft, but not finished yet. It's a work in progress.

You need to work over this again and again, until anyone can understand what you are saying, just by reading your words.

Then it will make sense to everyone else, and thus will make sense to you as well.

 

[Black Rose]

I think the term is called a "fractal seed".

Those familiar with it might understand.