Sketchbook

touching grass is not enough sometimes. sometimes what you actually need to touch is a math textbook

Mathematics I haven’t learned yet is mysterious, almost religious in how it tantalizes me.

Mathematics I am learning is frustrating and taxing.

Mathematics I have already learned is trivial, and left as an exercise to the reader.

I love the fact that it’s commonly believed the writer (and mathematician!) Lewis Carroll could have done a math diss on quaternions, their unintuitive multiplication and their non-commutative nature in the Mad Hatter scene in “Alice in Wonderland”.

“Why, you might just as well say that I see what I eat is the same thing as I eat what I see !”

All credits to 3Blue1Brown on Youtube (Video: “Visualising quaternions (4d numbers) with stereographic projection”)

if i was a scientist it would be so tempting to form conclusions based on my gut feeling and then work backwards to support them... it would feel sooo good

Just like your system is formal and effective.

Math affirmations:

You are necessary and sufficient.

Good Omens 2 appreciation post for that moment after Nina has just rocked Crowley's world with the revelation that no, he isn't slick and yes, it is glaringly obvious to everyone just how head over heels in love with Aziraphale he is.

Crowley takes himself off to the french restaurant and is drowning his sorrows in a bottle of wine while having the realisation that he's been following the angel around like a lovesick puppy all day with no other possible agenda other than to be around him.

And then he sees Aziraphale and whistles him over but the angel is too busy to join him for a wine in the middle of the day and Crowley tries to divert questions by complaining that he's scared Gabriel/Jim is gonna smite him and he'll be well and truly smote, no, smoted? Smited? What's the word he's looking for?

And the angel gives him a knowing look and says:

"Smitten, I believe."

PERFECTION.

GRAMMATICAL CORRECTION AND DIAGNOSIS IN A SENTENCE.

AZIRAPHALE JUST READ HIM LIKE A HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE BOOK AND DOESN'T EVEN REALISE HE HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.

This is my new favourite double entendre.

Smitten as the past tense of Smite. And the exact reason Crowley is drinking in the middle of the day.

He's realising he's smitten, your honour.

I hope Neil closed the laptop with a dramatic flourish after writing that line. Hell if I'd written a moment that perfect I'd take a victory lap of the kitchen and then call someone to tell them how clever I'd been before I pop.

Doctor Who - The End of Time: Part II

i just realised there are people out there who don't know about proof by mathematical induction. the world is a dark dark place

michael sheen: they're best buddies!

david tennant: they're married

Mathematics people interested in either learning about the Peano axioms of natural numbers (how do you prove a+b = b+a) or interested in learning a proving assistant (Lean) should DEFINITELY check out the natural number game. This is a game which teaches you both of these things step by step, and has you construct the natural numbers and their most important properties from the very basic axioms. Even if you just like logical puzzles and are interested in a bit of mathematics you should check it out!