4 ms·
About as useful as Feynman's algorithm for solving problems: 1. Write down the problem. 2. Think very hard. 3. Write down the solution.
by JohnKemeny 3y ago
About as useful as Feynman's algorithm for solving problems:
1. Write down the problem.
2. Think very hard.
3. Write down the solution.
- paulpauper 3y agosomewhere between steps 1-3: be as smart as him
- hyperthesis 3y ago42
- marmakoide 3y agoIt's useful. It just need a note about the cyclic nature of it and the place of ego * Forget about glory and peer recognition. One day you'll die and as time passes you'll be forgotten, including anything you made. Don't waste energy fighting it, just embrace it and carry on. Do it for that 1 mn moment of bliss when you found something nice. * Accept repeated failure. It's ok. * Spend time to learn why attempt N failed before going to attempt N+1, * Before attempt N+1, go out for a walk, cook something nice, do something with your kids, have a beer, watch a movie
- siva7 3y agoYou’d be surprised how many fail at step 1, skip step 2 and try straight step 3.
- AnotherGoodName 3y agoI'm pretty sure that's the point and it's not entirely a joke. Stating the problem to a succinct degree is the hardest part and normally reveals the other steps. If your maths problem is actually a specific instance of a known broader problem then just stating that will point the way forward. In fact a proof that your problem is an instance of a broader problem can generally be a worthy paper in its own right.
- hyperthesis 3y agoThe most succinct or abstract is like a normal form, in that many different problems are reduced to one, combining the insights from those different problems, and combining all those researchers to create a larger community. One effect is like how Latin used to be the language of professionals, so you'd better learn Latin if you want to access the knowledge base.
- gms7777 3y agoI think it may also be missing a step 0, which is "Identify that there exists a problem". I find that this is often an entirely distinct step from Step 1, which is it's own hill to climb. I'm in CS research (with most of my work being applied to biological problems), so I'm a few steps removed from pure math, but I can completely related to this. It's why I find writing grants so difficult -- because they generally require you to identify and describe the problem and propose some potential solutions. But that's like 90% of the work for the whole thing!
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]