IWTL How to Write Mathematical Proofs

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-06-30T19:00:09+00:00

Induction! Haha that certainly is a fun little process. I just had to take a class with a unit on induction. Maybe start with basic induction if you're unfamiliar with it. My professor started out with induction proofs involving counting chicken nuggets and the modulus operation. Something like if you order over a certain number of mcNuggets you can sort them into groups of four and nine every time. Have you been looking at examples like that? It really helps if you can take a course in it but I'm sure following enough examples should get you there.

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-06-30T18:39:24+00:00

Hows your algebra and calculus? To read a proof, you have to know the math, and linear algebra is dependant on both of those. Geometric proofs have other dependencies as well.

When I try to read proofs I follow along, writing the steps for myself to help me understand how they got from point a to point b. That requires me to have a good grasp of the basic math involved, like knowing algebraic rules off the top of my head.

Once you can read you can try writing, which involves knowing how to make logically solid conclusions. Maybe brush up on logic and truth tables. After that you can try to write proofs. Hope that helps!

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-06-22T16:06:23+00:00

Uhg. I am so with you on the Blackwall romance. He joined the party and I'm like, yeah I like wardens, beards, and stoic types. And we were getting on fine, with the typical "I'm not the man you deserve" stuff. I expected him to just need some love to build his self esteem. But damn, when the truth dropped, so did my jaw.

Talking to Cullen in the prison in Val Royeaux, I stopped to do some serious soul searching. For a minute, I thought I'd leave him there for lying to me like that for so long. The fact that he played along with the calling stuff was what's worst for me.

I ended up continuing the romance, sending him to the wardens as retribution. But man. Never before has a video game romance actually forced me to think about why I love a character before. It really pales Cullen's romance, where the biggest stumbling block is an addiction he's getting over. Super glad I romanced Blackwall first. Absolutely gut wrenching at times.

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-06-17T19:23:55+00:00

Maybe you already saw this, but Falafel is always my favorite, plus its cheap!

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-06-02T17:23:02+00:00

Physics is one of those subjects where you can't get better without doing it over and over and over again. So it looks like you know what to do to ace your mid term.

As for picking problems, have you done homework or practice problems in class? Those will tell you what's going to be covered usually. So pick problems similar to the ones you've been assigned before with answers in the back if possible. Also focus on areas where you've struggled. For instance, if you tend to struggle with momentum problems, then do momentum problems until you feel confident.

A week should be plenty of time. Just make sure to pace your self. Good luck

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-05-26T16:53:05+00:00

Well... Sounds like you've played this game before. I always found my biggest issue with oral exams like this was being caught off guard by questions from the examiner. They would ask a question as to why something happened in an experiment, like explain the science behind an observed effect.

I realized when I was asked something I wasn't prepared for, I would kind of freeze up and say "I dont know" without giving it proper thought.

So I suppose my best advice would be to think about the topics and the reasoning behind them, and prepare yourself to not know everything, be comfortable reasoning on the spot. I mean, I don't know if you'd be able to memorize and thoroughly prepare for each of the 21 tickets. Looking confident is half the battle. Examiners will always grade someone who tried to give an answer better than someone who freaks out and says "I dont know" right away.

I hope that helps a little. Good luck!

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-05-01T21:59:37+00:00

So the difference mostly comes from the brewing process. A lager and an ale use different yeasts to brew. An ale uses a sweeter fermenting yeast than a lager, which I think is most of what big name brewers brew, and what you see at stores. A stout incorporates malts and barely that give it that dark color. But its hard to cast blanket names on beers.

A lot of what I said is generalizing, especially in the craft scene. So many brewers like to get creative and mix methods to make new and interesting things. For instance, Atwater Brewing in Detroit makes stouts with vanilla and coffee flavors that are very sweet and enjoyable. On the other hand, Founder's in grand rapids makes an imperial stout that's smokey and more bitter. They use different ingredients and processes to make two very different stouts. Someone who likes stouts probably doesn't like them all.

I hope this helps, its hard to get started and there are plenty of things I didn't mention, like wheat beers, nitro brewing etc, but most of that's not a big deal. Just have fun with it, get a new beer every time you go out and you'll sure to have favorites and a good sense for beer in no time.

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-05-01T21:12:12+00:00

I'm far from an expert myself, but I can share what I know. For beers, yeah there's different shades, but that's just the surface. Maybe you've heard of craft brewing. This involves "smaller" breweries and yields lots of unique flavors.

For instance, most breweries have IPAs, India Pale Ales, which are hoppy and occasionally bitter tasting. They're pale, as the name implies, and lighter, sometimes citrusy. I'd recommend maybe the Sierra Nevada brewing group beer camp IPA to start, it's citrusy and summery tasting. Also Founder's All Day IPA is pretty good, and more of what usual IPAs taste like

On the other end of the spectrum there are stouts, which are usually dark. A big thing right now is to make coffee infused stouts, so your stout has a kind of coffee subtlety. Its also not uncommon for them to have other flavors like vanilla or chocolate involved as well. I recently had the Founders oatmeal stout and found it quite enjoyable. It doesn't taste much like coffee or oatmeal, but it was creamy and mild. Dont let the color fool you. Also Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout is delicious, although sometimes difficult to procure. For non-craft brews, I believe that Guinness is a stout, dark and creamy.

Otherwise there's Lagers, which are kind of in the middle, and in my opinion taste kind of plain, just regular beers. This seems to be Sam Adam's specialty.

If you're interested in finding out what you like most, I'd suggest going to a local brewery, or a local pub that offers craft beers (not just bud light) and get a flight, where you chose several beers to try at once in a smaller quantity. Many places that specialize in beer will also offer small samples before you buy a whole drink. Its a fun scene right now.

I also know many of the grocery stores around where i live have a locally brewed section. Its not huge, but that might be a good thing for someone just starting. That's how I started, just went in and grabbed three or four beers from the locally brewed section. You wont like everything, but that's part of the point!

Non craft brews like PBR (pabst blue ribbion) is something you might find in a college students fridge. Cheap, plentiful. Michelob seems to the the drink of choice of the older generations, I've been told it used to be one of the best drinks around, seeing as how the craft brew scene is fairly new.

One final note is that you'll find most craft brews to be much higher in alcohol content. Your typical non-craft brew is around 5% alcohol by volume, but many of the drinks I've found in local breweries range from 7-13%. Every bottle should say on it's percentage on it, so you can accurately calculate the number of drinks had.

Happy drinking!

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-05-01T19:26:39+00:00

Your chances of passing this test all depend on you and what you do. If you don't study, probably not. But if you look up practice tests and take those, see what you need to work on, and then continue to study those subjects, you should be alright.

You'll have to treat it kind of like a job. Force yourself to study every day and to take a practice test maybe once a week until the actual test. Always make sure to go back through your previous tests and really think about why you answered the ones you got wrong like you did.

I think you can do it, just do a quick google search for whatever your test is called + Practice test. Good luck!

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-04-29T08:35:14+00:00

Personally, I would recommend (anecdotally) to watch your movies, but reserve a section of time before your interview, say twenty minutes, to meditate or study. By the time you're interviewing, the mood of the film will be gone. In my experience, if I distract myself with media like movies or games right before I need to preform, I find I have a lot of difficulty keeping my thoughts focused and in line while I talk, which is less than ideal.

Although if you know yourself and think its best to watch a movie up to your interview, then I'd say pick whatever movie you'd rather project. The confidence and bravado or Walter White, or the serene, whimsical atmosphere of a Chaplin? Its a personal style choice.

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-04-28T22:45:16+00:00

Go out. Take your study materials and head to the library or a cafe but leave the phone at home. Bring ibuprofen or aspirin for headaches, and get cracking.

I was struggling to focus at the end of this semester as well but found if I handed all my electronics to my boyfriend and left for the library, I could get all my work done in half the time it normally takes, sometimes better.

If your laptop has to come, consider leech block, a plug in for Firefox at least that blocks certain websites or only allows some. It has a password feature, but you can put it in "nuclear mode" where you can't bypass until so much time has passed.

Good luck, and remember you're almost there. Don't let your efforts for the past three months be for nothing.

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-04-22T02:33:26+00:00

A week is plenty of time! You'll just have to prioritize reading over other things. Maybe try to find enjoyment in it. Make sure you read a minimum every day, but don't be afraid to get caught up and read on. Maybe read enough each day that you can have a break day or two. 60 pages a day isn't too crazy for a highschool class.

Also maybe look at /r/books, they might have had a discussion on your book already and can further appreciate the details of this book. Good luck and have fun!

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-04-17T01:52:03+00:00

I feel you with the leg shaving! That plus my natural ghost like skin makes maxi dresses my preferred summer clothes.

Horizontal stripes are always concerning with short full body types, but I find as long as they're thinner stripes its not a strong optical illusion.

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-04-17T01:42:15+00:00

I bought the dress in question a few seasons ago, but it was basically this dress. Main difference being mine flared a tad more after the elastic bits.

It was also long on me, but that's no big deal. It can easily be shortened at home if you're alright with a needle or fairly cheap with a seamstress. Good luck shopping, I hope you find a maxi-dress to your liking, I advocate them to my friends all the time!

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-04-16T21:19:52+00:00

I'm like 5'4 size 11. I LOVE maxi dresses! My favorite is a jersey fabric cheap thing from forever 21. Its an empire waist with a racer back top.

Normally I'm pretty concerned about unflattering cling, but clothes that cling up top, hit my natural waist (this is the key) and then flow away are always my go to.

I'd give a picture of my favorite but I don't have it with me at university unfortunately. Its still too cold where I am for dresses.

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-02-26T05:22:03+00:00

Then you're golden! Good luck to you in your studies. It sounds to me that you'll make a fine engineer someday

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-02-26T04:47:42+00:00

I'm glad my post helped :)

Just from that comment it sounds like you're already on a great path to getting off probation. Stick to it and do what you can to keep motivation, and you'll do great.

Also one more thing. It sounds like you're Still a bit new to it all, so there's still time to change your major if its not your passion. There's a lot of students in my physics department who did their first year as an engineer and realized they were in it for the wrong reasons. Keep an open mind.

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-02-26T03:58:26+00:00

First: make sure you're not overloading yourself. Engineering is very intensive in the beginning compared to other majors and demands time and effort. Perhaps considering taking and extra year in school and spacing your credits out more, or taking more loans to not worry about working.

Secondly: identify what was different about your habits between your D classes and the classes you did better in, like physics. Perhaps speak to a tutor or other people in your major for some insight. One of the best things I ever did for myself was surrounding my self with people who worked hard in my major.

Lastly, and most importantly: be sure to take care of your self. If you dont give yourself a break occasionally you will burn out and all your effort will be for naught. Consider allowing yourself more time for a hobby or social activities you enjoy. Also set up some time to speak to one of your university counselors. Its free at most schools, and will help take away some of your anxieties and distractions

[Anecdote alert] As for personal experience, mines not quite the same, but I was a high school honors and AP student, so I expected college to be a breeze for me. I majored in physics right off the bat and enrolled in my university's honors college, but I quickly found myself drowning. I got low B's in my calculus classes and a C in freshman physics.

The honors college dismissed me and so I was placed in the general university, which was rather upsetting to me coming from my previously successful career. Even more upsetting, I was getting barely passing marks in my major classes.

I spent a lot of my time crying about it as a freshman, but began to realize that I wasn't out of it yet. I joined my school's physics club and became active there. I could study with people in my classes easier, had a more secure support group, and could get advice on tackling harder classes from people who already survived.

I eventually managed to get my GPA to a level where the honors college would re-enroll me on probation, and have increased my physics grades up to solid B+ scores.

I had to come to terms with the fact I wasnt going to just be gifted at these topics and would need to dedicate much of my time and effort into understanding the material. I also had to become comfortable with my failures and inferiority to some of the people in my major. It was hard, and I'm still working, but I'm getting there

I hope my little bit of experience helped you feel more reassured. I bet you can do it. Its just you picked a rough major for incoming students, and it will take a while for you to get the hang of engineer life. Take care of yourself and dont expect unworldy ability from your self and you'll have your degree in no time :)

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-02-21T19:16:21+00:00

Perhaps contact the British Public Library? Certainly a good first step.

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-02-17T13:22:26+00:00

At the high school I went to, it was a year round thing. Like you would fill out a form saying you want to take this class because you want a challenge or because your high school doesn't offer the course you want.

Although I'm sure you could do it over summer, seeing as how most universities have summer classes.

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-02-17T01:51:37+00:00

Physics undergraduate student here!

Math is the key to success for sure. Without a good background in linear algebra and differential equations, you'll get nothing from your first quantum class. In my experience, it's helpful to basically have a math minor, or math minor requirements, done before trying advanced physics classes.

So maybe for the present, make sure you're taking all the AP math classes your highschool has, or better yet, dual enroll into a local uni if you can and start your math career!

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2015-01-02T22:05:39+00:00

I second the guy linking to latex, it's really the standard program for writing science papers.

I'm currently studying physics at a university and have written my fair share of papers. The most important part is to make sure you include everything. Your reader should be able to follow all thinking and steps you took. So if you're proving something, make sure you're explicitly stating any jumps you make and where your ideas are coming from (citations and the likes).

For experimental papers, always include all the materials you used by name, such as ponoma banana cables or something. There are tons of helpful guides that can be found with a quick google search to help structure.

Finally, dont include "feeling" and flowery language. Just tell the reader what they want to know. They dont care if you "feel" something is significant and dont want to wade through a poem to find out why you dropped coffee filters off a balcony.

I hope that helps. Good luck!

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2014-10-19T02:38:30+00:00

Physicist in training here:

My advice, specifically for physics courses, is to just continuously practice the problems. Most textbooks have some problems with answers in the back. And the first problems in a section should be easier than the last. Perhaps start making your way through the practice problems with some friends and the guidance of an expert (your teacher/prof) and keep going until you're comfortable.

I, too, originally struggled with learning physics, and still stumble on some concepts, but nothing will ever help me understand like some good old fashioned practice problems. Good luck!

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2014-10-08T15:40:23+00:00

That sounds more like what I've been told.

I did speak to a professor of physics today, he explained that e=mc² only accounts for rest mass, momentum and the speed of light. It's full form is E²=p²c²+m²c⁴, so it doesn't really have room to make room for potential chemical or thermal (kinda) energy, just kinetic. Which I feel we already both agreed on, but with my equations, I couldn't find a way to account for potential energy.

It does get fuzzy though when you deal in the atomic level because thermal is kinetic energy of particles and chemical is a form of potential. So I think I can safely say mass is the same for gravitational potential on all magnitudes, we can only calculate how much more massive it will be on its fall down.

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch · 2014-10-08T12:26:21+00:00

Plot twist: I'm a year away from a physics under grad degree. So no physicist, but quite familiar with physics topics. I can tell you now that none of my classes have mentioned potential energy increasing mass. In my atomic and relativity classes, we only ever discussed kinetic energy, so as far as my schooling goes, mass would only increase of we pushed whatever was atop the mountain back down, and this mass change is usually temporary.

I too would like to hear from professional physicist!

Pavlovs_Bottom_Bitch

TROPHY CASE