←back to thread

116 points baruchel | 2 comments | | HN request time: 0.619s | source
Show context
revskill ◴[] No.44363585[source]
We need a word-less world of math where all meaning is derived from figures. WOrds are confusing.

"If you can't describe the meaning using only pencils and compass, you don't mean it"

replies(2): >>44363632 #>>44365558 #
1. vharuck ◴[] No.44365558[source]
It is amazing what Euclid was able to prove and, frankly, even imagine using just geometric figures.

Nowadays, we have symbolic notation. The only research articles I read are for epidemiology, so I don't know how much notation is used in pure math journals. But I can't remember seeing any notation in those articles beyond what one would encounter in high school. I guess authors see more value in deceptive narrative and descend into strict logical languages only when necessary.

replies(1): >>44368714 #
2. glial ◴[] No.44368714[source]
Not just Euclid - even Newton's Principia used geometric demonstrations, rather than algebraic ones.