Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

> I almost hate numbers and symbols without (the explanatory) words/paragraphs.

The numbers and symbols only make sense in the context of some specific language game. If you work in a domain a lot, then repeated sequences of symbols and conventional naming of variables hints what language game you're playing. Without that, everyone needs the explanatory words/paragraphs.

> Isn't it easier for everyone to remember/visualize concepts and then deriving the formula than trying to remember the exact formula?

Yes. There's an interesting notion of a "recovery procedure" in Borovik's "Mathematics Under the Microscope" where he points out that mathematicians don't remember formulas and theorems, they remember simple procedures that recover them.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: