10 ms·

Donald Knuth on how he became good at math

102 points by grot 15y ago

afwew 15y ago
Summary: He worked hard. Super fucking hard.
- flyingkoala 15y ago
  I think what's interesting is that he admits to having had no special inclination towards math before college. Only during college, and out of a fear of failure, did he become really good at math.
fragsworth 15y ago
The worst thing you can do for a kid's intelligence is to let them think they are smart. I was led to believe I was smart as a child. The resulting intellectual cockiness I had... "I'm too smart for this shit." or "I don't need to study for this crap." In the end, I don't really like to think about how far it set me back.
- ihodes 15y ago
  I can't help but think the same. Though it wasn't so much hearing it as going to a school that was far too easy. It's not even my grades that have suffered, but how much knowledge I may have let slip by because I just retained it long enough for the grade. On the other hand, the time saved from not studying for some classes has resulted in me picking up a lot of knowledge that I wouldn't have otherwise… I think what matters most, if you haven't screwed up too bad (and it's hard to mess up that much, for most people on HN, I'd imagine), is that you step back, take a breath, and realize that you still have the potential. Then fucking work.
- palish 15y ago
  Absolutely. My experience was the same: my mother loved to talk to me about my intelligence and curiosity as if they were rare and therefore special. Maybe it was true, but by telling me that, she accidentally laid the foundation of the rest of my life: I started distancing myself from my classmates, and eventually my peers. The result? I now have a skillset roughly equivalent to Carmack's, but no chance to capitalize on it. No one believes nor cares. (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/315/portfolio/pre-textured.jpg http://dl.dropbox.com/u/315/portfolio/pre-textured.jpg ; http://dl.dropbox.com/u/315/portfolio/face.png http://dl.dropbox.com/u/315/portfolio/face.png) By setting myself apart, I likely ruined myself without even realizing it. It turns out that my skills don't matter. A Carmack without a company is no Carmack at all. And now I've no ability with people, as he does.
  - gruseom 15y ago
    Bosh. Learn! You totally can.
  - smallhands 15y ago
    Ok I can relate to that myself I am kind of curious can you list those skills
    - palish 15y ago
      - full stack programmer. My focus is always on the quality and robustness of the final design, regardless of which specific technologies/components are used. I learn them all. - a deep knowledge of the details. I share Robert Morris' passion for understanding precisely what is going on at every level. My insight into the low-level details of next-gen CPUs came from reading the Intel architecture manuals several times over. - an ability to achieve high-quality results within a very short period of time, regardless of the project or goal. If you show me a problem, I'll show you a solution by the end of the day, probably with a rough prototype. By a week, I'll have discovered which solution/direction is the best long-term strategy, and will have a working production version 1. - I have good judgement. This turns out to be rare. Specific technologies: - a master of C/C++. I've been coding since age 12, and I'm now 23, so that's easily 30,000+ hours I've spent practicing. I've been writing C/C++ professionally daily since my first gamedev job in 2007. Python is my language of choice; Lua a close second, primarily when performance is of concern (such as in gamedev). But a language is merely a means to an end, and I work with all of them. - several years of hobby experience writing Rails websites/Javascript. I write Lisp interpreters for fun. I want to write an Arc compiler someday. - extensive sysadmin knowledge, both Unix and Windows. FreeBSD is my preferred OS for server-side deployment. - master of realtime 3D graphics; both OpenGL and D3D. Given time and freedom, I can build you a renderer of the finest quality (equal or higher than Rage). - artistic talent and taste. Several years of 3D Studio Max and Maya modeling and animation experience. I build next-gen character art (high-poly sculpt in ZBrush, then decimate / build low-poly shell in 3D Coat; project detail; touch up textures via Photoshop -> rig in 3DSMax -> animate -> import into game). Projects: - in highschool, wrote a game engine roughly equivalent to Quake. - several game engines / game ideas. - a full game editor, using C#/.NET WinForms. - next-gen realtime graphics experiments, including realtime skin rendering (the same technique was recently shown by Epic in their "Good Samaritan" demo). - several Rails websites. Made a system for schools to administer tests, with the intent of surpassing Blackboard. (JavaScript-based; this was back before "Ajax" was a fancy buzzword.) Tried to apply to YC with it. pg gave valuable advice (selling to schools is like selling to government; quality doesn't always win). Was invited to Hacker School though, which was fun (seeing Anybots' Dexter robot in person walk around on two legs was just awesome). Experience: - Simutronics, HeroEngine. Graphics programmer (3 years) - S2 Games, Heroes of Newerth. Engine programmer (1 year) My thirst for knowledge is unquenchable in five lifetimes, and I strive for beauty and elegance in everything I pursue. If anyone feels these claims seem too bold to be true, I'd love the opportunity to work with you to prove myself while serving your interests.
- vidar 15y ago
  Thinking about what could have been is a red herring your mind throws out to you. There are countless ways your life could have turned out better. The only thing that counts is how you improve your current situation, dont let the past disturb that process. Good luck!
  - euccastro 15y ago
    There's a football (soccer) saying: "the most important play is always the next one."
chegra 15y ago
This was my experience too. I just did all the questions in the textbook. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2496430 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2496430 I had a book just filled with proofs. After a while, you will get an intuitive understanding of where to go next after each step.
- _exec 15y ago
  What "Math & Statistics" book? Got an ISBN?
  - chegra 15y ago
    I don't remember the name of the textbook, but any with 1000+ questions would do.
  - langsamer 15y ago
    A great math book is Gilbert Strang's "Introduction to Applied Mathematics". Actually anything by Gilbert Strang is worth it. I would also recommend: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521792851/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521792851/ref=ox_sc_act_ti... You could also try out the problems at projecteuler.net

102 points by grot 15y ago

afwew 15y ago

Summary: He worked hard. Super fucking hard.

flyingkoala 15y ago
I think what's interesting is that he admits to having had no special inclination towards math before college. Only during college, and out of a fear of failure, did he become really good at math.

fragsworth 15y ago

The worst thing you can do for a kid's intelligence is to let them think they are smart. I was led to believe I was smart as a child. The resulting intellectual cockiness I had... "I'm too smart for this shit." or "I don't need to study for this crap." In the end, I don't really like to think about how far it set me back.

ihodes 15y ago
I can't help but think the same. Though it wasn't so much hearing it as going to a school that was far too easy. It's not even my grades that have suffered, but how much knowledge I may have let slip by because I just retained it long enough for the grade. On the other hand, the time saved from not studying for some classes has resulted in me picking up a lot of knowledge that I wouldn't have otherwise… I think what matters most, if you haven't screwed up too bad (and it's hard to mess up that much, for most people on HN, I'd imagine), is that you step back, take a breath, and realize that you still have the potential. Then fucking work.
palish 15y ago
Absolutely. My experience was the same: my mother loved to talk to me about my intelligence and curiosity as if they were rare and therefore special. Maybe it was true, but by telling me that, she accidentally laid the foundation of the rest of my life: I started distancing myself from my classmates, and eventually my peers. The result? I now have a skillset roughly equivalent to Carmack's, but no chance to capitalize on it. No one believes nor cares. (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/315/portfolio/pre-textured.jpg http://dl.dropbox.com/u/315/portfolio/pre-textured.jpg ; http://dl.dropbox.com/u/315/portfolio/face.png http://dl.dropbox.com/u/315/portfolio/face.png) By setting myself apart, I likely ruined myself without even realizing it. It turns out that my skills don't matter. A Carmack without a company is no Carmack at all. And now I've no ability with people, as he does.
- gruseom 15y ago
  Bosh. Learn! You totally can.
- smallhands 15y ago
  Ok I can relate to that myself I am kind of curious can you list those skills
  - palish 15y ago
    - full stack programmer. My focus is always on the quality and robustness of the final design, regardless of which specific technologies/components are used. I learn them all. - a deep knowledge of the details. I share Robert Morris' passion for understanding precisely what is going on at every level. My insight into the low-level details of next-gen CPUs came from reading the Intel architecture manuals several times over. - an ability to achieve high-quality results within a very short period of time, regardless of the project or goal. If you show me a problem, I'll show you a solution by the end of the day, probably with a rough prototype. By a week, I'll have discovered which solution/direction is the best long-term strategy, and will have a working production version 1. - I have good judgement. This turns out to be rare. Specific technologies: - a master of C/C++. I've been coding since age 12, and I'm now 23, so that's easily 30,000+ hours I've spent practicing. I've been writing C/C++ professionally daily since my first gamedev job in 2007. Python is my language of choice; Lua a close second, primarily when performance is of concern (such as in gamedev). But a language is merely a means to an end, and I work with all of them. - several years of hobby experience writing Rails websites/Javascript. I write Lisp interpreters for fun. I want to write an Arc compiler someday. - extensive sysadmin knowledge, both Unix and Windows. FreeBSD is my preferred OS for server-side deployment. - master of realtime 3D graphics; both OpenGL and D3D. Given time and freedom, I can build you a renderer of the finest quality (equal or higher than Rage). - artistic talent and taste. Several years of 3D Studio Max and Maya modeling and animation experience. I build next-gen character art (high-poly sculpt in ZBrush, then decimate / build low-poly shell in 3D Coat; project detail; touch up textures via Photoshop -> rig in 3DSMax -> animate -> import into game). Projects: - in highschool, wrote a game engine roughly equivalent to Quake. - several game engines / game ideas. - a full game editor, using C#/.NET WinForms. - next-gen realtime graphics experiments, including realtime skin rendering (the same technique was recently shown by Epic in their "Good Samaritan" demo). - several Rails websites. Made a system for schools to administer tests, with the intent of surpassing Blackboard. (JavaScript-based; this was back before "Ajax" was a fancy buzzword.) Tried to apply to YC with it. pg gave valuable advice (selling to schools is like selling to government; quality doesn't always win). Was invited to Hacker School though, which was fun (seeing Anybots' Dexter robot in person walk around on two legs was just awesome). Experience: - Simutronics, HeroEngine. Graphics programmer (3 years) - S2 Games, Heroes of Newerth. Engine programmer (1 year) My thirst for knowledge is unquenchable in five lifetimes, and I strive for beauty and elegance in everything I pursue. If anyone feels these claims seem too bold to be true, I'd love the opportunity to work with you to prove myself while serving your interests.
vidar 15y ago
Thinking about what could have been is a red herring your mind throws out to you. There are countless ways your life could have turned out better. The only thing that counts is how you improve your current situation, dont let the past disturb that process. Good luck!
- euccastro 15y ago
  There's a football (soccer) saying: "the most important play is always the next one."

chegra 15y ago

This was my experience too. I just did all the questions in the textbook. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2496430 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2496430 I had a book just filled with proofs. After a while, you will get an intuitive understanding of where to go next after each step.

_exec 15y ago
What "Math & Statistics" book? Got an ISBN?
- chegra 15y ago
  I don't remember the name of the textbook, but any with 1000+ questions would do.
- langsamer 15y ago
  A great math book is Gilbert Strang's "Introduction to Applied Mathematics". Actually anything by Gilbert Strang is worth it. I would also recommend: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521792851/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521792851/ref=ox_sc_act_ti... You could also try out the problems at projecteuler.net