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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Is it worth it to get better at contest math?

I have never done well in math competitions, and am now past the point at which I can participate in them. I am asking if it is worth it to go back and practice such types of problems until I gain some level of sufficient level of mastery, or if…
user09143892
  • 31
34
votes
15 answers

Best way to express 2014

In my class, I always write the date using mathematical formulas, or cool little equations. I want to show my students that even the most mundane seeming number often has fascinating features, and its own beauty - that's the reason I got into…
James Williams
  • 271
34
votes
1 answer

Why is a full circle 360° degrees?

What's the reason we agreed to setting the number of degrees of a full circle to 360? Does that make any more sense than 100, 1000 or any other number? Is there any logic involved in that particular number?
Sherlock
  • 443
34
votes
7 answers

Is university math all about proofs?

Do mathematicians do anything else beside writing proofs? It seems like all the "upper-division" math here are about proving something rather than solving for something i.e. instead solving for $x^2 = -1$, prove that solution to $x^2$ is something…
Shamisen Expert
  • 8,092
32
votes
7 answers

Incredible frequency of careless mistakes

Ever since high school, I've had a serious problem with math classes. Be it discrete math, algebra, calculus or linear algebra, I seldom have trouble understanding the texts or lectures, but when it comes to executing calculations on homework and…
Rei Miyasaka
  • 459
31
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15 answers

Ways to study mathematics while commuting

I spend approximately 3 to 4 hours on public transport everyday. I try to maximize the usage of this time by checking email etc on my phone. Are there any tips to study mathematics while commuting? Thanks for sharing! Just want to make full use of…
yoyostein
  • 19,608
31
votes
5 answers

Pure Mathematics Vs Applied Mathematics Job Prospects

I need and request some advice on selecting the area for my research. In particular, I want to know the about job prospects of Applied Mathematics Versus Pure Mathematics in Academia. I understand that Applied Mathematics would give an edge for…
Samal
  • 329
30
votes
3 answers

Does a mathematician study more, or research more?

Lately I've been studying graduate mathematics courses really hard day and night. Realizing that the things I'm learning (currently basic manifold theory and commutative algebra) are really an epsilon of the grand scheme of things, I've grown…
finnlim
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30
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4 answers

How should I approach taking math tests?

I always do bad on all my math tests yet I do great on projects and homework. Also I like doing research. For exams that have proof based questions I just freeze up under pressure. I just can't do things well in a timed environment. So what are some…
Terry J
  • 1
29
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5 answers

Kindle as a Tool for Mathematicians?

UPDATED: 1/15/2014 I originally wrote this post in 2010, when I was looking for alternative ways to store and transport papers. I had my laptop, but due to its weight, limited battery life, and the LCD screen, an e-reader such as Kindle seemed like…
Braindead
  • 4,999
28
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2 answers

Ph.D. admission in the US/UK: How is an M.Sc. regarded?

In the UK/US people usually don't get an MSc before pursuing a PhD in math. But in other countries getting an MSc before the PhD is the more common case. This raises the following questions regarding how graduate admission committees view applicants…
Adam
  • 51
28
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8 answers

Isn't the intermediate value theorem self-evident for continuous functions?

The way I understand the intermediate value theorem is this: if you have a function f that is continuous over a domain $[a,b]$ then there is a value $f(c)$, where $f(a)≤f(c)≤f(b)$, such that $a≤c≤b$. This seems self-evident. If $f$ is continuous,…
Korgan Rivera
  • 4,168
27
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5 answers

Algebra Vs Analysis

I've come to like linear algebra far more than analysis and was wondering how much analysis one would be required to learn in order to pursue a career in research in an algebraic field. For example, at the graduate level, if I were interested in…
john fowles
  • 2,475
26
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3 answers

The level of knowledge needed for graduate study

I was in class, and I saw a grad student reel off a proof of a theorem in real analysis, one I found quite hard and never really tried to understand thoroughly, with no effort. This led me to ask the question: at what level should I know the…
Retired account
  • 1,080
25
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2 answers

How do you manage your "pedanticism"?

After I took my first analysis course and learned how to be truly "pedantic," I have always been having a dilemma of balancing myself between being "detailed" and "intuitive". I would like to ask how other Math SE people manage this problem. (If…
user123454321
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