I ♥ Math

Sunday, January 2, 2011
Okay, not really.

But I have started the work for my Quantitative Reasoning class at DU, and I think it's going to be completely manageable. The work appears to be straightforward, and much of the homework appears to surround using the various functions of Excel.

Of course, I do have a bit more confidence surrounding math after getting an A on my thrice-damned statistics class, and suspect this course will be easier for me than statistics. For me, quadratic equations and amortization are far simpler concepts than continuous probability distributions and the central limit theorem.


I wasn't looking forward to starting this quarter (it conflicts with my tendency toward being a lazy git), but now that I'm back at it, I'm a happy college student once again. Math FTW!

13 comments:

vince said...

Yay math! I olove math. If you every find someone who would pay may a nice salary plus benefits to do nothing but play with and study math, send 'em my way.

I love math. Give me math, math, math, bacon, eggs, math, math, math, math, math and math.

And rum. I like rum, too.

vince said...

Yes, my mathgasm made it difficult for me to type correctly.

Fathergoose said...

Once again Rabbi Buffett to the rescue! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o10W_63spDE

nzforme said...

I'm with vince. I love me some math, too. Whenever I get to play with math in my day job, I'm a happy camper. (Most people at the office know this about me, so will sometimes drop by for advice when they've got a math issue.)

You lucky thing. Happy new year!

Anne C. said...

I have to admit to my love of math as well. I prefer apply math to real things (which is why I like geometry and algebra) than something I perceive as mainly theoretical, like statistics.

Phiala said...

Statistics? Theoretical? Huh.

I think geometry and algebra are more theoretical. Statistics is what you do when you have real data and want to know if it means anything.

But then, I'm the sort who writes statistics papers for fun between other work projects.

Yeah, a math fan here too. :)

Anne C. said...

Ah. Well, you're talking to an architect here, for whom geometry is quite literally hard data.
Statistics are slippery in my mind because you can always come up with rationales to adjust which data to include. Mind you, I'm a devotee of Twain, so I carry a bias. ;)

frodow = how the hero's name from LotR is spelled in India ;)

Phiala said...

My verification word is "brain".

I agree, it's much easier to rationalize doing statistics badly than geometry. And there's always some uncertainty, unlike in geometry.

But when you apply geometry to the real world, you add the uncertainty. Is an angle ever exactly 90 degrees? Or two surfaces exactly parallel? So you need statistics to ensure that they're close enough. :)

That's what I meant about real world or not. Euclidean geometry is an idealized system, not a real-world one. (As are non-Euclidean geometries, but they're much less used by architects!)

Anne C. said...

Hee! That would make an interesting sci-fi story -- actually, my mum sent me a short story about a man who designed and built an "unfolded" tesseract, so the concept is not unheard of.

And in construction, geometry does have variation (and it varies according to material -- concrete can be +/- 1/2" while cabinetry is generally +/- 1/8" which are, I suppose, determined statistically ;) and it's all covered by that most wonderful of acronyms, VIF (verify in field).

I once was on the edges of a s***storm that arose out of post-tensioned concrete slabs being not within the tolerances assumed by the curtainwall system designer. An expert determined that both were at fault -- the concrete was varying more than usual, but the curtainwall people should also have assumed greater variance.

Geometry, physics, and chemistry (concrete curing) FTW! :D

Gawd, I'm a geek...

PS -- your captcha is appropriate for such a brainiac as you, Phiala <3

John the Scientist said...

I heart stats!

But the last quant reasoning class I had (a decade ago, damn am I old...) was also flat out awesome. We did all kinds of solution algorithms for different processes, and the one that stood out in my mind was the one we did for check-out lines at a cashier. The most efficient system for all involved is to have one line, multiple cashiers, and have the person at the had of the line go to the next available cashier when one opens. Most grocery stores don't do this because their checkout geometry is all effed up, so you're stuck in the shortest line you can find praying to Jeebus that the none of the people in line ahead contain an ignoramus who is going to pay at the automated, unmanned, 20 item or less kiosk WITH A FUCKING CHECK, INSTEAD OF USING ONE OF THE THREE FUCKING *MANNED* 20 ITEM OR LESS CHECKOUT LINES, THEREBY *REQUIRING* THAT A CASHIER WANDER OVER IN 5 OR 10 MINUTES TO COMPLETE THE CHECK OUT AT THE "SPEEDY" LINE!!!!

Sorry, had to wipe the spittle off, there.

The only grocery / big box type store I've ever seen adopt this arrangement by changing their check-out geometry was in Wal-Mart of all places. But it was in Canada. I guess the 'Murrican designers just can't grasp the concept. :(

Anyhoo, a good Quant Reasoning course will have lots of good stuff like that, and the drawback to *that* is that you'll be even more inclined than you already are to wander about life looking at stuff and wondering why people don't do things more rationally. Quant Reasoning classes should come with blood pressure medicine. :D

Janiece said...

John, the Navy Commissary manages their lines that way. So all is not lost.

John the Scientist said...

That does not surprise me. Having worked as a contractor, I've never been one to use the old joke about military intelligence. The problem with the military is not intelligence, but rather flag rank ego (or in my experience, egos at the O-6 level, but that may be an Air Force thing). When egos are kept out of a low profile decision, such as how to get tropps through the comissary, analytics rule the day. I have the utmost repect for the people who conduct analytics in the military.

Carol Elaine said...

Math is hard.

I got nothing else. I do not heart math, though I totally understand why others might. While I'm pretty decent with basic math, there's a reason why I'm no longer working in finance.

Y'all have fun with your numbers and equations and stats and the like. I'll be over in my non-mathy corner, licking the electrical socket and using a hair dryer while I'm taking a bath.