DanArmak comments on Mathematics as a lossy compression algorithm gone wild - Less Wrong

35 Post author: shminux 06 June 2014 11:53PM

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Comment author: shminux 07 June 2014 01:10:25AM 1 point [-]

What's your prediction?

Comment author: DanArmak 07 June 2014 01:42:22PM 0 points [-]

He shouldn't tell it to you, but in secret to a third party. Otherwise the experiment would be ruined.

Comment author: Luke_A_Somers 07 June 2014 05:52:03PM 9 points [-]

I think we can trust shminux not to go get additional degrees in response to WQ's answer.

Comment author: shminux 07 June 2014 07:56:23PM 8 points [-]

Never underestimate the race for status.

Comment author: DanArmak 07 June 2014 04:07:04PM 2 points [-]

He has sent me his prediction in a private message.

Comment author: shminux 07 June 2014 07:54:17PM 0 points [-]

Well?

Comment author: DanArmak 07 June 2014 08:13:02PM 2 points [-]

The prediction was:

My prediction is that the writer has a strong background in calculus including multi variate but has not taken more theoretical proof courses like set theory / logic 2 / or number theory.

A graduate physics degree no doubt requires calculus. What about the rest?

Comment author: shminux 07 June 2014 09:21:56PM 2 points [-]

That's about right. I did learn elementary set theory and logic, and had to prove theorems in the course of my research, but I was not interested in, say, computability, advanced logic, formal systems or the number theory. I guess Platonism is more pervasive among pure mathematicians.

Comment author: solipsist 08 June 2014 01:59:42PM 0 points [-]

You've studied abstract algebra too, no? At minimum, you've dealt with groups.

Comment author: shminux 08 June 2014 05:48:54PM *  0 points [-]

Oh, for sure, had to learn some, like finite groups, Lie groups/algebras.

Comment author: shminux 07 June 2014 04:18:26PM 0 points [-]

How would it be ruined? My "mathematical background" does not depend on his prediction and I cannot change it after learning what the prediction is.

Comment author: DanArmak 07 June 2014 04:20:26PM *  1 point [-]

But his prediction could change subtly after learning what your background is.

"Ruined" is too strong; I should have said "influenced".

Comment author: shminux 07 June 2014 04:23:48PM 0 points [-]

Right, that's why I asked what it is before revealing the answer.

Comment author: DanArmak 07 June 2014 04:27:43PM 2 points [-]

Your way of formulating the answer may have been influenced by his theory?

I'm quibbling. I recommended the "full procedure" out of habit. It's wasn't really necessary in this particular case.

Comment author: shminux 07 June 2014 05:10:41PM *  2 points [-]

Anyway, I have about 3 years of college math (geared toward physics, not math students), plus some elements of grad-level math required for my grad degree, such as differential geometry and algebraic topology.