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Lack of examples? What? Algebra is literally overflowing with examples. Algebraic structures generalize concrete structures you've probably already seen else
by cottonseed 11y ago
Lack of examples? What? Algebra is literally overflowing with examples. Algebraic structures generalize concrete structures you've probably already seen elsewhere in mathematics: from arithmetic, addition and multiplication, as the video explained, from discrete math, you can write down lots of interesting, finite examples, symmetry groups of geometric figures generate lots of interesting finite and infinite (Lie) groups, 1- and 2-dimensional wallpaper patterns are classic examples, etc, etc. In comparison, for example, it's quite non-trivial to describe a single interesting 4-manifold.
- xyzzyz 11y agoI think the issue is that people try to jump in abstract algebra too early, before they acquaint themselves with a variety of concrete examples. It's even worse with category theory -- how one is supposed to understand why functors are useful before encountering them in a natural context is beyond me.