bit of a dated post but something I am curious about. I watched Terence Howard's first appearance on Joe Rogan and found it mostly funny but something he pointed out did pique my interest.

the root of his issues with basic math seem to stem from a fundamental misunderstanding (or dislike?) of 2 things in particular:

1. that any number multiplied by a fraction results in a smaller number (basically he struggles a lot with logic of fractional math) and
2. the fact that for x where 0<x<2 , that x² < x*2 when he is apparently under the notion that x² should always be bigger than x*2 and to him, the fact that that isn't the case for 0<x<2 is evidence of some big mystery or conspiracy

but it did make me wonder if there's a certain name or property given to the numbers where 0<x<2 to note the fact the fact that for those numbers, x² < x*2?

It seems to me we teach kids math in a way that prioritizes mass teaching and resource management over the actual learning of mathematical concepts.

We rely on paper and pencil, and maybe some limited manipulatives like unit blocks, and there’s 1 teacher for every 15-30 kids or so.

What are some methods that might work better to establish a strong understanding of math if we were able to approach it differently?

Or what are some methods that have been proven to work in other settings and why are they able to be successful?

Hello Tildes,

I am currently taking DSA in college and struggling a lot with the math and algorithms. Recently had to solve Karatsuba questions and I don't even know what I wrote down on the paper. I have been trying to look for videos on this and only really came away with a vague understanding.

What I've noticed is that I struggle with solving the math part of the questions.

For example: "Describe a divide and conquer algorithm to compute the square
of an n-digit integer in O(n log3 5) time, by reducing to the squaring of five [n/3]-digit
integers"

I have zero clue how I am supposed to understand the latter half of the question. It makes no sense to me beyond I am supposed to be multiplying squared numbers. How do I even begin to turn this into an algorithm? What is the solution even supposed to look like?

Needless to say, I've struggled with math my entire life and I've been trying for years to be decent with it, and I have nothing to show for it.

So, do you have any recommendations that could simplify the math needed for DSA? Videos are preferred but I will textbook recommendations as well.

Thank you, and have a good day!