I studied math in undergrad. Forgot most of it, but recently got back into it. Enrolled back in school, taking a lot of prelim courses to prep for a PhD. I've been doing really well but I'm still in my math intro courses (algebra/analysis) phase.
I met some 5th-6th year PhD peeps that became my friends. They know a lot more math than I do because 1) I haven't studied it in years/forgot everything I once knew and 2) they've studied it 10+ years straight + in an elite graduate program.
But whenever I "talk math" with them, I feel like they degrade me for trivial mistakes (I wrote something that was correct but made a small error and my friend went nuts over it). Another time I asked him a question and he seemed to get really agitated that I didn't know something so simple.
I don't know if he is doing it out of malice (I suspect not) but it turns me off, and makes me want to associate myself with peers on my level, not someone that degrades me and is about 5+ years ahead of me in math education.
He's trying to talk down to you so you'll think he's better than you at math. He's not actually very good but is scared that people will think he's bad at it. You're very immature for letting it get to you though. Toughen up and make fun back when he makes an arithmetic error.
Thomas Carter
He seems himself above doing any sort of calculations such as arithmetic due to his category theorist mindset.
He knows more than me in math (he is in an elite graduate department, almost has a PhD) and I am essentially at the knowledge level of a sophomore, despite having a degree in math (back when I didn't even study or care for it).
I am essentially starting over from ground 0, working towards a PhD. He is heads and tails more educated than me, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid. I'm doing quite well in all of my courses, but iut's just he's so far ahead of me it's silly to even compare my level to his. I have the chance to excel, as I am doing in my current coursework as I progress to higher levels of mathematics....
He makes me feel dumb and ashamed I was so honest with him by how little math I knew.
>You're very immature for letting it get to you though. Toughen up.
I'll do that. I'll focus on learning more and keep progressing and excelling. It's just he in very subtle ways puts me down and talks at such a level that I do not understand him. Makes me feel bad man.
Jayden Davis
Anyway, I am making As in all of my classes. I have several more courses I need to take before I apply to PhDs, but thus far, as I have said, I've been excelling. I'm a top student in every class I take. Next year I'll be at the junior-senior level, last year I was taking freshman courses. I'm not stopping there, because I want to apply to PhD programs and plan to take multiple grad level courses before I do, and get involved in research.
I'll brush it off and keep working.
Brayden Bailey
Tell him to fuck off.
Colton Wright
I am not sure, but you mention a couple of really strange words to describe the issue:
>I wrote something that was correct but made a *small* error and my friend went *nuts* over it >he seemed to get really agitated that I didn't know something so *simple*
It seems like you are minimizing his perspective, and it is possible he is also doing the same to you. Remember only a certain kind of person is going to think:
"oh look at this trivial mistake, here is my chance, time to blow up"
If it is bothering you, you should really think about what they are trying to communicate. Remember, these aren't teachers and they might not even be traditional friends. They sound like coworkers.
I've had mentors of various types and some are more expressive than others. Technically, they were also just coworkers demonstrating their work methods with various degrees of explanation. I found they would apply an equal "criticism" of my work as they would place on their own. I've been called a fucking idiot, but then I heard them say to themselves "wow, i am fucking stupid!"
A lot of this crap is mostly conformity complexes that are organically developed and are not systematically reevaluated.
Matthew Martinez
>He seems himself above doing any sort of calculations such as arithmetic due to his category theorist mindset. This sounds like a bait thread Snooty abstraction wankers only exist on the internet, not in math departments.
Daniel Hughes
Thanks, this is a good response. The *trivial* mistake I made was a notation error, one he immediately understood what I meant (which was correct), but I made an error in the notation of expressing it. All he did was replace the symbol I used, with the one I should have used instead and the entire argument I made still stood otherwise. Basically just a minor syntax error, but he made me feel really stupid in the way he pointed it out.
I'll assume his behavior wasn't out of malice, but he was doing it out of good intentions.
He is extremely abstract, and removes himself far from any sort of calculations. He doesn't do calculations. I am sort of amazed at it to be honest how abstract he goes.
Anyway, I will just assume he isn't doing this in malice and keep chugging on. It just feels weird communicating to someone very senior to you and feel as if they are breathing heavy down your neck on things you are *just* learning about when they literally had 10 years of experience in this area of mathematics. With my peers (i.e. people in my class) none of this judgmental feeling arises. Everyone is equally as lost as I am, and have the same questions I do. Everyone feels fine asking each other stupid questions. But with him I feel like an idiot.
Give me another 1-2 years and I'll be in grad level classes, but right now I'm just learning the basics and don't want to feel *bad* that I have to start somewhere super basic! Geeze, I'm doing well in my classes. It isn't like I can magically accelerate my math knowledge from analysis/algebra sophomore tier level to freakin' 5th year PhD tier overnight. I feel like my fault was admitting I have a studied Math in the past and admitting I didn't actually know any math (hence why I am going back to school, starting over and studying it from the ground up). I'm already doing very well and like I said, one of the top students in every class. I'll eventually get into a PhD program, but I gotta work up to it.
Matthew Adams
Sounds like some of the people on this board
Cameron Lewis
Dude grow a thicker skin ffs. Sounds like friendly banter from someone who's helping you out. Appreciate the experience and git gud
Gavin Kelly
Sounds good.
Brody Jenkins
tell him numerical analysis is the way of the future and throw a calculator at him
Hudson Reed
Just be your self :^)
But no seriously, I'm in a similar situation and there will always be a doucher who behaves that way. Whether or not they behave like that on purpose in order to be a dick or are legitimately trying to help out really depends on your understanding of the person.
In this case, I would think that his ability at math is the only thing that gives him a sense of confidence, and if you're making A's after jumping in after a break he might be a little butt hurt that you're doing well. 90% of math grad students I've interacted with are autism the musical, so don't even trip yo. Just keep killing it.
Thomas Wilson
Thanks, I appreciate it. Your words mean a lot, I needed to read that.
Parker Torres
>He seems himself above doing any sort of calculations such as arithmetic due to his category theorist mindset. Well, category theorists, HoTT wankers and researchers from functional programming are well-known for being rude assholes so better look for other friends
Oliver Parker
>HoTT wankers
?what's Hott user?
Daniel Phillips
it's ok to be a faggot for a faggot like you user
Kayden Martin
math people (especially on Veeky Forums) pride themselves in reciting wikipedia logic lmfaoo
nothing they do outside of typing on here makes them any money or a topic you talk about with other people
Jonathan Hughes
You nailed it. He is into functional programming and HoTT stuff. The "error" I made literally had to do with using a symbol vs another symbol used represent an idea I was expressing in type theory. My argument was correct and nothing changed other than replacing all instances of one symbol with a different one.
Angel Sanchez
Probably Higher Order Type Theory given the context
Brody Bailey
Homotopy Type Theory m8
Liam Hernandez
untrue
They're nothing like those smug algebraic geometers
Asher Morris
What symbols did you switch?
Connor Peterson
>Caring what your peers think of you Holy shit nigger, is this fucking middle school? You're a god damn grown up ass man. Hell, calling you a man is actually complimenting you, you fucking pussy ass beta faggot.
Don't give a shit about him, it is not like he is the son of the company you want to work on or some shit, he is literally a piece of worthless shit if he happens to degrade someone that is also majoring on the same shit as you.
This kind of shit is actually what some Veeky Forums anons unironically do, and what are they? You know the answer now. Ignore the faggot beta and stop being a beta as well if you give a single fuck about what other people think of you. I bet 10 bucks he will end up working at Starbucks because how much of a bitch is he.
And also remember where you are user, you aren't majoring something that everyone can do, by de facto, without trying to raise your ego, you're in a very high place whether you know it or not.
Stop being a pussy.
Sebastian Johnson
Also adding something else, but god damn it I cannot fucking find it.
Nicholas King
Ugh whatever I'm too lazy to do that much research. >en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big-fish–little-pond_effect Basically, you have not realized where you are and believe you're not the greatest because of these assholes. Yet when you compare yourself to the whole population that fucking majors in BFA or brainlet Humanities (except Rhetoric and Philosophy), you're a really intelligent person, especially when you have the initial motivation to go to graduate school.
And by consequence, if you keep being a faggot that takes everything, you're not going anywhere. Also >I met some 5th-6th year PhD peeps that became my friends. What do you meant here? They finished a BSc and are now in a PhD program after 2 years? Or have they been in this program for 5-6 fucking years? Hmmm
Either way, if you want to BTFO them, then type of behavior should be able to motivate you to do your best on studying hard and eventually get a PhD. Or as a second option, you can always do some Applied Math PhD that actually makes something for everyone in the world and get more prestige depending on what you researched. Since the Applied Math PhD literally takes you closer to the 300k than the Pure Math PhD, let me tell you that.
Grayson Smith
This is extremely motivating. Thank you. Yes, I meant they are 5th-6th year PhD students. This was exactly what I needed to hear.
John Morris
>I meant they are 5th-6th year PhD students. They're being a leech much? They must be fucking around pretending to do research if they're still keeping it like this. They're really close to the "acceptable" limit of 7 years (where you would lose funding in less than the 5 years, and on the 5th year they're being really generous now).
But back to the point, you just gotta study hard and think of what you will do for your PhD once you get and realize what is your favorite field(s) of math that you would literally spend your lifetime doing research on that, even if it's just one, that would be enough since depending on the specialization, you can be more flexible on certain other fields of mathematics or even beyond mathematics. That "chain-of-knowledge" thing I don't know how to call it (Interdisciplinary in the discipline itself(?)), is actually really useful and that is why you see some experts that specialize on many things and do many more new things as well. I do not know how to describe it well, but it could be something like a Liberal Arts thing, where you apply all the knowledge you know in order to create more knowledge, that is how things get created, etc.
So in the end, study really really hard, get more knowledge and think of what you want to do, specialize in that and think on what you can relate that knowledge on other things.
My personal example being Rhetoric and Psychology, where if you combine these two, you can become the greatest con-man. Or the field of Mathematical Physics, literally being born of this interdisciplinary approach on modern times and not just your High School stuff.
Anyway, just keep on studying man. If you ever felt that it is too late for school, remember all those geniuses that did a lot of stuff in their later years, since you sound like you're in your late 20's-early 30's. I want to mention one that one user said, but I guess I have to search that guy again.
Robert Myers
I guess this could be a great example, but it is not that man. >rsbm.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/roybiogmem/51/149?sid=fd93959e-ca80-497f-a045-750e46bb7ffa This text might be quite uncomfortable for a certain kind of people, but my points are in this large paragraph. >Despite his relaxed persona and happy maturity >Thereafter, he completely broke the conventional mould for mathematicians, because he did not attend university till he was very nearly 30 years old and did his most important work when he was nearly 60 years old. >He was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society in 1976, joining his elder brother Herbert, who had been elected in 1951* >Albrecht Fröhlich was one of the major mathematicians of the latter half of the twentieth century. He will be remembered as one of the few who have succeeded in creating a new subject: he was the creator of Galois module structure, which is now an important branch of algebraic number theory.
If I had more time I would post more people, but can't be helped. Have a good day (or night) user.
Adam Brooks
You have no idea how much this is helping me. I am older than the traditional math student & did quite poorly in core math courses early on.
I left university for several years after graduating, worked and actually fell in love with academics. I began self-studying and saved up to return back to school. I am essentially redoing undergraduate studies, to get into good PhD programs.
In my earlier days I made a C in a course. Last year I made a A in that course. Then last semester I made another A, I've made all As so far since coming back to school. Several professors have taken notice of me as well and one wants to get me into research. I am starting to get some prof mentors. They see talent in me.
Over the break I picked up a math textbook (in a core course that I previously did poorly in years ago) and was able to prove every theorem presented in the book BEFORE reading the author's solution. Today I am going to work through the end of chapter exercises to continue my practice and move on to the next chapter. I know I have the aptitude & ability. If I didn't come from a poor family and do so badly early on, I'd already be in a PhD program. I kind of felt bad about it, and asked myself if there is a point, ran into people that made me feel bad, felt inferior despite making As in hard classes, etc.
But you, you inspired me. Keep posting these people in thread, as you feel to. It is early morning and I am about to crank back into studying. There isn't really anything else I'd be doing over the break than doing this.
William Stewart
I think some people just have serious ego problems. They only way they can look big is to make everyone else seem small. Just ignore them OP and do you bro.
John Roberts
We all do it
Dominic Williams
Alright I'll post some names, and I'm really glad my words inspired you.
Joan Birman >PhD at 41, despite doing an undergrad at "the normal age", she still did her PhD at this age and does research in prestigious colleges and also a Fellow of AMS. >en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Birman
Preda Mihăilescu >received his PhD with 42, and proved the Catalan conjecture 5 years later. The Catalan conjecture was open for 160 years.He proposed in 2009 a proof of the Leopoldt conjecture. >en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preda_Mihăilescu
And that is all of some mathematicians that I can name who did not had parents that were math teachers nor any other STEM fields and started late in their math career.
Jace Collins
To be honest you do sound like a faggot with a chip on his shoulder. Maybe you should try sucking less cock, eh?
Lincoln Martin
B-but we aren't smug at all.
Kayden Butler
>implying
Connor Sullivan
Oh you guys
Jeremiah Sanders
Don't take the second guy on his word. It's easy to (pretend to) be smug on the internet. In a sense he really is dropping his mask (talking without inhibition), but these are extraneous circumstances. We're very timid when afk.
Landon Reyes
True that.
Levi Sanchez
I haven’t read the other responses, but here’s the deal: if he needs to belittle you, he’s not that good. Really.
The most brilliant mathematicians and physicists are kind, helpful, and fun, and would never belittle anyone trying to learn or understand something.
Trust me here, I’ve met some of them (just to mention one: Roger Penrose. He would never ever treat anyone in that way.)
Colton Nelson
It can happen... I’ve met some people who publish papers in the following fashion: they set up the entire scheme of the paper, get all the pieces they need, without any details, infer possible paths, etc ... but... they usually have a co author who is extremely fucking good at calculations...
And usually don’t insult others for not knowing something...
Not saying this isn’t bait, but, it can happen...
Connor Rivera
However, I’d advise against comparing yourself to other mathematicians or physicists, as cliche as it sounds, just focus on you, relax, and enjoy the fucking thing as much as you can.
Happiness independent of conditions. Get this, and everything else follows.
