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I am highly skeptical whenever I see people trying to apply deep mathematics outside physics and chemistry I don't understand exactly what you mean by deep mat

• swatow 12y ago
  is there something particular about Number3s that applies to this discussion? In general I like it when people explain to me what I don't know. Unfortunately I don't have time to watch the whole show. To answer you question, an example of shallow math is using an ODE to model population biology. This is mainly because the math doesn't actually tell you something that you qualitatively didn't already know. An example of deep mathematics is using representation theory to analyze the quantum charge, spin etc of fundamental particles.
  • KhalilK 12y ago
    is there something particular about Numb3rs that applies to this discussion? Yes, it enumerates real-world applications of mathematics in fields other than Physics/Chemistry, of which you said you were skeptical. This is mainly because the math doesn't actually tell you something that you qualitatively didn't already know. So I take it that the depth of mathematics is determined by its ability to predict?
    • swatow 12y ago
      I can't continue a discussion with someone with your attitude. You're not reading what I'm writing carefully, or providing meaningful answers yourself. You've just classified me as someone who needs to be talked down to, and proceeded to talk down to me.
      • learnstats2 12y ago
        I also have a bad attitude to what you are saying - worse, in fact. You say physics and chemistry are the only deep uses of math, and illustrate that with a physics example to define "deep", and a biology example to define "shallow". That's not meaningful at all: it's circular logic (i.e. bad mathematics). Without math, we would have a much poorer understanding of population biology. Your population biology example was from 1926 and the state-of-the-art has moved on - so you have badly represented the subject. I suggest that your personal understanding of biology is where the shallowness really lies. The parent commenter has made a genuine effort to understand you and offer you some advice, despite your bullshit. You should thank them.
      • KhalilK 12y ago
        huh? oooookay.
      • bojo 12y ago
        He answered a question, and asked a question. Nothing you even said here makes the least bit of sense given the context.
• pestaa 12y ago
  It's okay to recommend entertaining content, but my impression was that Numb3rs in particular is quite shallow in how it applies math to solving crimes. Either I watched the wrong episodes, or they really just calculated what would be reasonably simple to deduce without the formulas.