Mathematics Stack Exchange
Mathematics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [soft-question]

For questions whose answers can't be objectively evaluated as correct or incorrect, but which are still relevant to this site. Please be specific about what you are after.

For questions whose answers cannot be objectively evaluated as correct or incorrect, but which are still relevant to mathematics.se.

12079 questions
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How to Generalize Pick Theorem

I am interested in Pick Theorem. Pick Theorem Assume $P$ is a convex lattice point polygon. If $B$ is the number of vertexes of $P$ and $I$ is the number of lattice points which in the interior of $P$. Then the area of $P$ is $I+\frac{B}{2}-1$. I…
gaoxinge
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What fields should I focus on?

First of all, a little background: I'm a computer engineering student, currently on my second year of study. I've always been fond of mathematics but my interest has grown a lot since last year, mainly because of my first formal take on it at my…
Fernando Martin
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I'm in grade 9 vacation and I decided that I want to be a mathematician when I grow up can you suggest me hard exercices to do?

I'm in grade 9 vacation and I decided that I want to be a mathematician when I grow up can you suggest me hard exercices to do?
Selim Jean Ellieh
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Is a sustained,lifelong dedication & commitment to Mathematics worth every bit of it?

It may not be the kind of question I am supposed to ask here.I apologize if I violate any terms and conditions.But I really need an answer to it.I am in my mid 20s and just another average guy.But for long questions about the origins of the…
Ivy Mike
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How to do well in higher level math classes

$\quad$ Hello everybody, I have a bit of a problem and I know this question has been discussed before but I just want some insight on how to do well in more higher level math courses (There is a $\textbf{TL;DR}$ version of this at the bottom if you…
InsigMath
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Are competition-type problems useful?

I'm asking from the perspective of an undergraduate. In high school, I found that training with competition problems was immensely helpful. I solve problems on the internet and read solutions. That's how I learned proving, even without anyone…
janker
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value of work in mathematics

If you're working in a field of mathematics that is not driven by real world problems (or the abstraction of real world problems), then how do you gauge the value of your work? How do you decide what is important to work on? Is it purely on a whim?
anon
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How to check the veracity of arXiv.org papers?

Suppose I found a preprint on arXiv.org (like this one: http://arxiv.org/abs/math/0309146 ), and I need to check if what's in there is actually true. Any tips? I don't want to study an article only to later find that it contained an error <_< More…
Aleksei Averchenko
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Main branches of mathematics

Can anybody please show me the main branches and subbranches of mathematics and the statistical sciences in a hierarchical form? I am not a mathematician and often in my research I see a lot of new mathematical terms and theories. I need a way to…
Real Dreams
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Types of Mathematical "Sameness"

What types of mathematical "sameness" do we have? From what I've gathered (through studies / this afternoon): Equality between numbers or sets (meaning $A\subset B \;\&\; B\subset A$) Homeomorphism between topological spaces (preserving topological…
Dahn
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Simple Grammar Question

Perhaps this question fits on an English Language wiki, but it is more likely a question that mathematicians would know the answer to. I know that all uses of the words "Theorem" and "Lemma" should be capitalized, but what about the word…
user139388
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How to stay academically active during a Mathematics Gap Year?

This year I started at the University of Cambridge to study Maths. I was very unfortunate to contract a serious infection early on in the term, and as a reult it has been mutually decided between myself and my tutors that I should defer entry and…
preferred_anon
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Keeping Focused: School

Mathematics is such a huge field, and I am just wondering how does a mathematician keep focused? For example to learn Stochastic Calculus you need some Analysis, Measure Theory, Probability, Set Theory, and all of those topics usually need some…
JimmyJackson
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Proof that uses a statement but doesn't rely on the statement itself.

Here is a well-known example of this kind of proof. Proposition: Show that there are irrational numbers $a,b$ such that $a^b$ is rational. Proof: Consider the statement "$\sqrt{2}^{\sqrt{2}}$ is irrational." If the statement is true, then…
William Sun
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How to Remain Competetive at Mediocre University?

I am attending a university with a mediocre mathematics department. The courses at my school cover fewer topics and are less challenging than the same courses at top universities. How can I avoid becoming behind in coursework compared to students…
MichaelHeff
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