

How to Read Mathematics - ulvund
http://www.stonehill.edu/compsci/History_Math/math-read.htm

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tel
The idea of a reading protocol is a pretty essential concept. I appreciate the
author carefully detailing such a protocol for Mathematics, and I imagine this
exercise would be pretty simply done for code as well.

I'd vie that Mathematics is much more subtle, in general, than code: average
reading speed something like 0-15 "concepts" (because we all know how terrible
LOC is) in 30 minutes, depending, of course, on how subtle the code is, how
skillful the reader, and how elegant the coder.

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tac-tics
I agree. Math is extremely subtle. And despite its nature as the most exacting
and rigorous of sciences, the notation used in mathematics is anything but.
Each author uses their own conventions. Abuse of notation runs rampant.

Sometimes the difference between theta and phi is more than just alpha
conversion... some authors use certain variable names to communicate important
properties that must be satisfied in the premise of theorems -- but without
making those premises explicit.

A derivative is a 'special form' in calculus when it is so cleanly expressed
as a higher-order function. And indefinite integrals introduce a mysterious
constant, C, when really, what you're talking about is a multivalued-function!

I think math is pretty much the coolest subject one could study, but in many
of the books I've read, the difficulty in understanding is evenly divided
between the concepts and the author himself.

