Math Is Fun Forum

TheBigE

Member

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 2

IM new.....

hey im new here, i dont know anybody here but im trying to learn mathematics on my own, because the teachers at my school have absolutely no inclination to teach it well and i also want to dabble into pure mathematics, not simply appied.:D:D:D

Ricky

Moderator

Registered: 2005-12-04

Posts: 3,791

Re: IM new.....

Welcome to the forums.  What pure mathematics have you seen or heard of so far?  And are you in high school or college?

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"In the real world, this would be a problem.  But in mathematics, we can just define a place where this problem doesn't exist.  So we'll go ahead and do that now..."

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: IM new.....

Welcome BigE! Hope you enjoy.

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

Jai Ganesh

Administrator

Registered: 2005-06-28

Posts: 48,395

Re: IM new.....

TheBigE,

It is said 'success is being at the right place at the right time'.
I am sure this is one place where you can discuss mathematics and also get help, if required. Welcome to the forum!

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It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.

TheBigE

Member

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 2

Re: IM new.....

Thanks for replying guys, ive heard that pure mathematics is a more abstract concept, with little real world or practical use, is this right? oh and i am a freshman in high school ricky.

Ricky

Moderator

Registered: 2005-12-04

Posts: 3,791

Re: IM new.....

The difference between pure and applied mathematics is that pure is motivated by interest while applied is motivated by use.  Pure mathematics have been applied, but that is not the reason behind their discovery.  Number theory is a pure field of mathematics but it has huge applications, especially in cryptography.

If you want to start studying pure mathematics, the first course taken is an introduction to proofs.  The great thing about this is that it does not really require anything above algebra, and having a concept of proofs in geometry is of course helpful.  That being said, the course is still considered difficult to a great many Sophomore college mathematicians.

The topics covered (in order) are typically:

Introduction to logic: statements, symbols, truth tables, implications, and negations.
Four types of proofs: Direct, contrapositive, contradiction, induction.
Introduction to numbers: Natrual, integer, rational, real, complex.  Definitions of odd, even, divisibility, modulus, prime, gcd, lcm, Euclidean algorithm, and all their properties.
Introduction to set theory: sets, cardinality, functions, equivalence classes, binary operations.

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"In the real world, this would be a problem.  But in mathematics, we can just define a place where this problem doesn't exist.  So we'll go ahead and do that now..."

John E. Franklin

Member

Registered: 2005-08-29

Posts: 3,588

Re: IM new.....

Have you been to the Eastern States Exposition, called the TheBigE here in New England?
I have, back in 80's and 90's.     Our marching band went there; I played clarinet. 
Welcome to math(s)isfun!!

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igloo myrtilles fourmis

mathqueenbee

Member

Registered: 2008-07-10

Posts: 0

Re: IM new.....

   I just joned, and so far this is a website! I love it!!!!!   

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: IM new.....

Thanks mathqueenbee, and welcome!

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

suzan

Member

Registered: 2008-07-21

Posts: 1

Re: IM new.....

hello people
I do agree with you, but don't neglect the physicists  every one are important in this society. 
And we have to depend on others & we should have a co-operative.
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suzan
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