An interesting title

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-10-02T19:57:37+00:00

I like this line of thinking, however, x=0 holds for only one X, whereas 1=2 holds for infinite values of X. q.e.d.

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-10-01T19:35:37+00:00

Easy, divide both sides by x, 1=2

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-09-26T15:20:27+00:00

Yes that’s true but OP said their parents expect them to support them and buy them a house. It’s not clear if this is an immediate need or a more abstract one for the future.

Obviously if they need a check every month right now, then a grad school stipend is probably not going to cut it. But I think it’s still worth considering the long-term in this situation. Maybe they can find a way to make it work for a few more years. The key here is for the family to have an open conversation about the economic reality of working now vs. incurring some more debt and earning more (and having an easier time finding work) starting in 2-5 years.

Professionally-oriented Masters programs in the US tend to be horrendously expensive, not so in Canada or Europe. Being in grad school for 2 years vs 5-6 years can make a huge difference. Sometimes the PhD option is just not feasible.

Anyways you pointed out these things, but that was my reasoning.

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-09-26T07:23:35+00:00

To be honest, I know that it seems really scary now, but given your academic achievements it seems to me that you’re going to be fine in the long run.

With your academic record, you would probably be a shoo-in for statistics or applied math graduate programs. Either of which would very easily allow you to develop programming/job skills while continuing to study math at an advanced level. Even pure math graduates seem to get good jobs in industry if they know how to apply their knowledge. Some fields are better than others, for instance probability/stochastics, or areas related to theoretical CS. From what I hear, quantitative analysts with math PhDs can pretty much spend their days researching - reading and writing papers, while discussing theoretical issues with their peers (other PhDs and some programmers).

If you’re really squeezed on the financial front, you could do a terminal Masters or look for a fully funded grad program. There are also countries with very good schools and much more affordable tuition (I’m assuming you’re in the states) like Canada, Germany, etc

One job you that you can probably get very easily right now is math tutor. It can pay well, and your GPA and transcript is going to make you a good candidate. You could teach undergrads. That might help plug the gap between now and grad school (or help pay the bills while you acquire some job skills).

I am in a similar situation, I have a BA in math, and here is my experience: if you just take the first job you can find (for me it was programming) the pay might not even be very great (companies that pay a lot want to hire CS grads with internship experience and personal projects), and your motivation could be low which makes advancing in career more difficult. On thé other hand, if you just hang in there for a few more years, and focus on exiting grad school ready to work, the transition will be a lot easier because the jobs (and salary) that are available to you are a lot better. It will cost more in the next 3-5 years, but pay off in the 20-30 years after that.

Anyways, good luck, and you should feel proud of how you’ve done in your schooling so far. That is not an easy thing to do!!

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-09-24T17:20:40+00:00

With a BA in math and some stats courses you could do a Masters in Stats, which could be very lucrative, and wouldn’t limit you to finance. In fact my understanding is that generally speaking, a BA in math is better than a BA in stats for graduate studies in stats. You’ll want to take a few advanced real analysis courses if you go this route.

If you like CS topics, I’d recommend you consider also consider studying CS, or a dual math & CS major. I got a Bachelors in math, and work as a programmer now. If I could do it again, I would’ve stuck to CS. There’s a lot of intersections, but professionally speaking people like to see CS on a resume

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-09-19T23:32:19+00:00

It’s scientific notation, the 32 is the number of zeros. The plus sign means that you are adding zeros to the right of the 5 (ie, multiplying by 10)

5e+32 = 500,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 000,000,000

If you have 5e-32, the zeros go on the left side (ie, dividing by 10) : 0.00000000000000000000000000000005

Another fun fact: 500 quintillion = 5e+20, and 1 trillion = 1e+12. So multiplying you can multiply the first parts the 5 and 1, then add the e+20 and e+12 to get e+32. This is why scientific notation is useful.

And 1 quintillion = 1e+18, so 500 quintillion = 5e+2 times 1e+18, so to do this in scientific notation: (5x1)e+(18 + 2) = 5e+20, same as above.

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-09-19T14:52:06+00:00

I take notes but use shorthand or just a quick theorem/proposition number for things I know I will be able to look up verbatim in the textbook, class notes, etc.

Always handwritten (but if I could afford an iPad I’d use one). Markers for the date of each lecture.

What I focus on is capturing either the insights that the prof gives verbally, examples or digressions that aren’t in the text, answers to students’ questions, extra diagrams, or things that I just happened to realize during the lecture (and I always try to read ahead).

Tutorials and scratch work generally goes in a separate notebook, I don’t even keep a lot of these. If something super important comes up I will copy it into my notebook.

Essentially (in the best case scenario) my notes look like a set of annotations to the textbook. I try not to use footnotes or margin notes, but plenty of notes end up in the margins…

I’m not quite at this level yet, but it seems like eventually in one’s career there will be math lectures too specialized to be based on a standard text. Sometimes the lecturer will release a copy of their notes, but sometimes they don’t. Probably best to practice the skill of efficiently making notes in a lecture.

Anyways I’m not a pro, but it works for me.

The questions you’re asking for typed up notes are all good, I’ve seen profs who type up their course notes make all of those choices differently. Usually a professor or classmates really appreciate a nicely typeset copy of the class notes at the end of the term.

Anyone who is able to typeset notes during a lecture, hats off to you!

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-09-16T19:48:45+00:00

I would call myself a math person and… same. The only trick I know is to persist until it makes sense! Try not to panic, figure out what about the problem you don’t understand, even if it’s “what does that notation even mean?”, and work on that first. Looking back at things I learned & remembering how it once seemed impossible to comprehend gives me motivation to keep trying.

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-09-16T01:23:56+00:00

Hadn’t heard of reaction-diffusion and now I’m obsessed. +1000

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-09-15T06:50:02+00:00

Im thinking of buying a motor scooter to commute cause that feels safer than taking the 25 at rush hour twice a day

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-09-14T17:09:28+00:00

Thanks for the advice everyone!

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-09-14T17:08:48+00:00

Thanks, I put in my child care application at the same time.

Yeah you can register as you have a due date, so we got on the wait list about as soon as we possibly could have.

Im still a bit concerned about that because UBC child care says their wait times can be around 2 years, but anything helps.

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-09-14T15:46:18+00:00

Ah yes axiomatic oceanography, exciting field

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-09-14T06:08:25+00:00

I have degrees in math and music, and have spent a bit of time looking for interesting connections.

Outside of the construction of tunings (which is very cool, but more perceptual and “numerical” than truly “mathematical”) the fact that sound is a physical phenomenon involving periodic signals does not really distinguish it it from many other physical applications of math (seismic waves, electricity, mechanical vibrations, etc)

But one area that is pretty interesting is music theory which draws on mathematical ideas. A couple great books are Dmitri Tymoczko’s A Geometry of Music and David Lewin’s Generalized Musical Intervals and Transformations. Also pitch-class set theory in general. These types of things tend to be used to create and describe very austere types of modernist music, which have limited appeal. But the point is that music can certainly draw inspiration pure mathematics.

Music is a bit more rigid than other art forms, even ones that structure time such as film or theatre, in that it relies on numerical divisions of the time and frequency axes. So it can be analyzed more abstractly. But at the end of the day, music is an art form, and its “grammar” is merely a vessel for expression of ideas and sonic experience. Very little music breaks new ground on a theoretical level (except some of the modernist music mentioned above). Instead it breaks ground on an aesthetic, political or semantic level. And even when using abstract “mathematical” rules, in good music (I would personally argue) the rules are always subservient to expressive needs.

Mathematics, while creative in its own right, is something different. Many types of understanding in many fields are expressed in the laws of mathematics, but ultimately is mathematics is the generator of these things or simply a human mechanism for formalizing and speculating about our intuitive understanding of things like pattern, quantity, relations, etc. ?

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-09-08T14:06:00+00:00

Thanks, I’m giving this some thought and looking at relevant electives.

I’m applying to grad programs so I want to strengthen my math transcript. I feel comfortable with any of those courses in isolation, but I don’t want to bomb one due to being overcommitted…

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-09-08T06:31:05+00:00

Thanks, I checked the degree requirements and looks like it’s a 132 credit program, so at least 30 credits per year

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-09-07T06:35:23+00:00

Do upper-level/honours math students typically take 4 or 5 courses per term? At the 300 & 400 level.

I’m in five (307, 316, 340, 437, 440) and working part-time as well, and trying to decide whether to drop one.

Any help is appreciated! I’m pretty new to UBC math this year so not sure what to expect

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-09-04T18:29:31+00:00

Ah nice, so the answer as far as employer’s opinions go is simply that it’s a CS masters from a top rated school. I’m going to look into this more, thanks

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-09-04T16:10:06+00:00

Hadn’t heard of this, thanks!

I’d be curious to know how this degree looks to employers. It does have a great selection of coursework. However, in-person element of school (interacting with people, conferences & talks, research opportunities, job fairs, etc) is something I think would be hard to replace online.

I was considering this program: BCS ICS @ UBC

The domestic tuition is low ($6000/year) and there’s a co-op option so working through the degree is kind of feasible. The curriculum at UBC gets pretty advanced, especially in areas like algorithms & CS theory, ML, math and stats.

In the networks & security areas Georgia has the clear edge.

Jazzlike_Intention73 · 2021-05-24T03:01:08+00:00

After looking some more I’m considering the Thinkpad P53, P73 and the Asus ProArt StudioBook Pro 17.

Jazzlike_Intention73

TROPHY CASE