
Ask HN: What's the best way to relearn math? - etr71115
Recently, I&#x27;ve noticed my quantitative abilities slipping.  I want to refresh myself on probability, statistics, linear algebra, and maybe calculus?<p>Piggybacking on the thread below, I&#x27;d be curious to hear any new sites&#x2F;apps&#x2F;books&#x2F;practices the HN community recommends.  This is more of a mental exercise than an application towards a particular problem. Thanks in advance!<p>https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=3569761
======
pixelperfect
Here are some excellent YouTube playlists for the subjects you mentioned. I
have used and can vouch for the high quality of all of them:

Linear Algebra:
[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlXfTHzgMRUKXD88IdzS1...](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlXfTHzgMRUKXD88IdzS14F4NxAZudSmv)

Probability:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbB0FjPg0mw&list=PL2SOU6wwxB...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbB0FjPg0mw&list=PL2SOU6wwxB0uwwH80KTQ6ht66KWxbzTIo)

Calculus:
[https://www.youtube.com/user/professorleonard57/playlists](https://www.youtube.com/user/professorleonard57/playlists)

Be sure to work through problems and not just watch lectures, because
otherwise you'll forget the content. For example, the linear algebra course
has a companion site with problems, and the professor of the probability
course wrote an excellent book with problems.

------
chauhankiran
Few days ago HN user post a Calculus Made Easy as a pdf[0] book, I found that
much interesting.

[0].
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14161876](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14161876)

------
tkosan
I am the main developer of the MathPiper computer algebra system
([http://mathpiper.org](http://mathpiper.org)). I found that a great way to
improve one's understanding of math is to learn how a computer algebra system
works. I would be happy to teach the fundamentals of a CAS to anyone who is
interested.

------
nuclx
I'd love to have enough time to read everything about homotopy type theory /
category theory / number theory / cryptography. Heck I'd even want to read the
complete Art of Computer Programming from beginning to end. It's so hard to
balance this with being productive. Life is too short.

------
axonic
For Algebra, if you need certain subjects in depth or need to take a test to
assess your skills, try Khan Academy [1]. Also, Khan covers trigonometry and
geometry. For Calculus, MIT did a series called Calculus Revisited which
covers calc 1,2,3.[2] Calculus Revisited was designed for professionals who
needed a refresher or first crash course. It's from 1968-72 but I thought they
were great.

[1] [https://khanacademy.org](https://khanacademy.org) [2]
[https://ocw.mit.edu/resources/#Mathematics](https://ocw.mit.edu/resources/#Mathematics)

------
indescions_2017
Install Anaconda. Start playing with open science data sets. Gain superpowers.
Solve big problems. Good luck!

[https://www.continuum.io/downloads](https://www.continuum.io/downloads)

~~~
jason_slack
This might be a slightly better page: [https://www.continuum.io/anaconda-
overview](https://www.continuum.io/anaconda-overview)

But, they really don't give enough info about what, where, why. What data? Who
is this intended for? Etc.

~~~
eshvk
I think the poster assumed that data science/computational work could provide
the mathematical background the OP is looking for.

Because Anaconda is a package of tools that include numpy,scipy (python
numerical and scientific computing) and a notebook (a "live editing" utility).

While this might help, I wonder if this is too roundabout a way to learn math.

------
jason_slack
I have started taking classes at my local community college to refresh my math
skills again.

------
markhkim
Even mental exercises could use a purpose. What are you interested in? Try to
keep an end goal in mind. If you want to learn more about machine learning, it
might be an idea to start with a mathematical preliminaries chapter in a
typical machine learning textbook and look up difficult topics in a
probability/statistics textbook. If you want to learn more about databases,
perhaps you could pick up a book on relational algebra, and explore it in the
context of abstract algebra. There are many ways to get the job done.

------
Top19
I asked this question on reddit a few days ago!

My basis was I wanted something like Charles Petzold's "Code" from 1995 which
is the BEST way to understand computers.

The recommended book by far was..."Mathematics: From the Birth of Numbers".

See here:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/math/comments/673yxa/best_book_for_...](https://www.reddit.com/r/math/comments/673yxa/best_book_for_understanding_math_at_a_deep/?st=J2TTEFP6&sh=9ec1def2)

~~~
martalist
I'm reading Code right now. It really is a fantastic read.

------
siegel
Same boat. I was just going through boxes in my garage and came upon my old
college math textbooks and some old exams/homework assignments. It was like
gibberish.

My plan was just to take a textbook and see if I can just relearn. Probably
are better options out there, but I'm clueless.

Probably will start with either linear algebra or maybe set theory?

Happy to hear other ideas of how people would do this. For me, there's no
practical application. I just used to love this stuff and hate how much I've
forgotten.

~~~
eshvk
> Probably will start with either linear algebra or maybe set theory?

This can work. I spent a year or so before grad school at work, I brushed up
by spending a summer drilling through a Linear Algebra book.

A new thing I have been trying out recently is find an application, find
something I am confused by, dig deeper through the layers of mathematics till
I uncover the basics of the confusion, then re-learn and work up.

So BFS vs DFS. The latter seems more like up my alley. YMMV

------
bootsz
When I was preparing to apply to grad school ~4 years out of undergrad I spent
a lot of time working through the various Math modules on Khan Academy and
found it very helpful for getting me back up to speed on the basics. They have
some higher-level math content on there too now, I believe.

------
jmstfv
3Blue1Brown's videos are of a great quality.
[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYO_jab_esuFRV4b17AJtAw](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYO_jab_esuFRV4b17AJtAw)

------
jf22
I've been doing Khanacademy. Its been fun.

------
hfourm
Khan academy and youtube in combination are probably better then any of the
schooling I originally recieved

