[ 3 / biz / cgl / ck / diy / fa / ic / jp / lit / sci / vr / vt ] [ index / top / reports ] [ become a patron ] [ status ]
2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/sci/ - Science & Math

View post   
File: 55 KB, 800x800, 1613866419884.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
15087278 No.15087278 [Reply] [Original]

is there any value gained from reading and understanding math books without doing any of the exercises? i just read linear algebra done right and algebra by artin for fun, and as such, didn't do any exercise (did read closely and follow the proofs)

i feel like i learned a lot, but at the same time i feel like its at most just trivia value because i never practiced a single proof and probably missed a lot of the intuition by not practicing

>> No.15087490

>>15087278
If you don't use it you will forget it very quickly. You might be able to retain some of it by just thinking about it occasionally

>> No.15087493

>>15087278
If you can't solve problems, what can you do exactly?

>> No.15087494

>>15087490
...and by use it I mean either practically our just using it as prior knowledge to further reading. Pretty much if you don't think about it at all you'll forget it

>> No.15087787

>>15087278
You know nothing about linear algebra.
You gained the information in the sense that you'd have about biology from watching SciShow: an barely functional overview.
It's okay if that's your goal, but these are not comparable studying methods. As said, you don't know linear algebra. This is not banter.

>> No.15087843

>>15087278
what's 'value' for you? Do you actually need to learn algebra? If it's just for fun no one cares, if you need to learn problem solving you gained next to nothing.

>> No.15087910
File: 110 KB, 618x589, 1672407564315.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
15087910

Books with exercises are for brainlets. A sufficiently intelligent reader doesn't need to waste xir time with exercises.

>> No.15088806

>>15087278
>is there any value gained from reading and understanding math books without doing any of the exercises?
yes, so long as its the first pass-through in a spiral approach to learning.

>> No.15088819

>>15087493
it's not that i *cannot* solve problems; i certainly can. i already took an introductory class to proof-writing in college (on discrete math mostly). thing is, i basically need the book at my side; also i am aware that it will probably take me 3x more time to solve anything just by the mere fact that i didn't practice a single problem

>>15087787
suppose i were to take a Machine Learning class (which would obviously require Linear Algebra knowledge). would reading over the book without doing exercises be of 0 help? i feel like some intuition is at least gained.

>>15087843
i guess i am trying to find a reason to justify going the lazy way about learning. after all, i am not a math major so i feel like im wasting the time reading these if im not *really* learning the subject

>> No.15089318

i was going to type out a long response explaining why it's a good idea to do practice questions, but then I realized I don't give a fuck about helping you op. you're a lazy idiot. if you dont have the reasoning and logic to figure out for YOURSELF why its a bad idea, why would you be able to learn math lmao

>> No.15089368

>>15087278
i think it's fine. knowing the nomenclature is enough to read mathematical texts further down the road. with linear algebra skipping the exercises is going to bite your ass only if you're planning to pass differential geometry. worst case scenario, you know where to look for things, and can get up to speed within 2 weeks.

the only place i wouldn't cut the corners is calculus (differential, integral, complex, ode, pde), because of the sheer amount of the material that builds upon itself.

>> No.15089407

>>15087278
Personally, I think that most exercises are a waste of time. If I understand the material, then I know how to solve the problems. Plus, they slow you down.

>> No.15089745

>>15089318
kek i had the same thought as well
if they can't reason out why what they've done is a bad idea then they're fucked

>> No.15089748

>>15089407
You talk about high school "calculate the x of y" exercises. They are almost more muscle-memory than mind. The two sides compete, they are repetetive -- sure.

But we talk about uni textbook exercises, and there the exercises are not a waste of time. I have many criticisms with them (no solutions? Fuck you), but that they are just busywork has never been one of them. The exercises is actually aimed at that one Gausslerstein kid every three years in a class. He is expected to solve everything perfectly.
The rest has a buffet of exercises.

>> No.15089758

>>15089748
nigga we are talking serious math exercises, of course they don't have solutions. no bitch is gonna write +300 proofs for a book

>> No.15089760

>>15089748
>But we talk about uni textbook exercises, and there the exercises are not a waste of time. I have many criticisms with them (no solutions? Fuck you), but that they are just busywork has never been one of them.
Depends on the book. A lot of textbook problems are basic permutations of examples in the text, or are permutations of the same type of problem over and over. Sometimes books develop important results through exercises, which is profoundly annoying if the solutions aren't included.

If you are self-studying, then there is no point in doing any exercises unless the answers are provided. Generally, I'm satisfied I've learned the material without doing exercises if I understand the examples. When I was younger, I would compulsively work all the exercises in a book, but I rarely got any of the answers wrong, so now I think it's a waste of time.