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I had a math minor in college and took some upper level analysis courses, so I know what abstract means in the context of higher mathematics. I wasn't talking a

I had a math minor in college and took some upper level analysis courses, so I know what abstract means in the context of higher mathematics. I wasn't talking about calculus.

Jensson 5y ago
But how would you study abstract math without those abstractions? The math is just abstractions and nothing else, the abstractions are what you study, there is no concrete thing there to describe. So your original comment tells me you haven't studied a lot of very abstract math since you still want those explanations, but they stop existing after a point. > took some upper level analysis courses Real Analysis is still not very abstract, but yeah that is a step. The next step is to remove everything concrete about it and just study abstractions. And then you start studying abstractions of those abstractions, hence "abstract nonsense". Maybe sometimes in the future someone will invent abstractions of those. Edit: Meant the stuff you learn in Rudins principles of mathematical analysis. Not sure exactly what the course would be called in an English class, but I called it real analysis here.
- jeffreyrogers 5y ago
  > But how would you study abstract math without those abstractions? I'm not saying you would, I'm just saying the abstractions are directly related to why its harder. > since you still want those explanations, but they stop existing after a point. You're misunderstanding me. > The next step is to remove everything concrete about it and just study abstractions. And then you start studying abstractions of those abstractions, hence "abstract nonsense". Maybe sometimes in the future someone will invent abstractions of those. Yes, I understand all this. I have the textbooks and I've read parts of them. The reason I didn't study math more seriously (I considered it) is because I realized I didn't have the brain for it and am not that interested in studying really abstract stuff.

I had a math minor in college and took some upper level analysis courses, so I know what abstract means in the context of higher mathematics. I wasn't talking about calculus.

Jensson 5y ago

But how would you study abstract math without those abstractions? The math is just abstractions and nothing else, the abstractions are what you study, there is no concrete thing there to describe. So your original comment tells me you haven't studied a lot of very abstract math since you still want those explanations, but they stop existing after a point. > took some upper level analysis courses Real Analysis is still not very abstract, but yeah that is a step. The next step is to remove everything concrete about it and just study abstractions. And then you start studying abstractions of those abstractions, hence "abstract nonsense". Maybe sometimes in the future someone will invent abstractions of those. Edit: Meant the stuff you learn in Rudins principles of mathematical analysis. Not sure exactly what the course would be called in an English class, but I called it real analysis here.

jeffreyrogers 5y ago
> But how would you study abstract math without those abstractions? I'm not saying you would, I'm just saying the abstractions are directly related to why its harder. > since you still want those explanations, but they stop existing after a point. You're misunderstanding me. > The next step is to remove everything concrete about it and just study abstractions. And then you start studying abstractions of those abstractions, hence "abstract nonsense". Maybe sometimes in the future someone will invent abstractions of those. Yes, I understand all this. I have the textbooks and I've read parts of them. The reason I didn't study math more seriously (I considered it) is because I realized I didn't have the brain for it and am not that interested in studying really abstract stuff.