[English] How good is your (Mathematical) English?

[Appocomaster]

Ok, I'm now in my 3rd year doing Maths at university. We've now got this module called "Mathematical Writing". Fair enough, as we're doing a project and so I assumed this was how to use the software and so on.

How WRONG could I be?

That's just an excuse to attempt to teach 100 people how to use correct English and explain our ideas fully. I can see the point, as it might well lead to more coherent and better written projects, but still..... apparently we need a dictionary and a theosarus. HA!

The initial 7 sentences to correct were these (I got about 3 right in 10 minutes, btw):

1. Using this method we find the complimentary function.

2. This is called the dependant variable.

3. After some calculation we arrive at the number 42. Which is the answer.

4. This is an example of a seperable equation.

5. The function has it's only real roots at x=0 and x=1.

6. The numerical method trys to find a root for the polynomial by iteration but definately struggles to converge for some choices of initial value.

7. We look for real roots of the polynomial x^2 + 2x + 1 = 0.

Anyone who gets all 7 instantly was obviously in the lecture.

The sentences that we're (mainly) discussing next time aren't always so obviously incorrect in terms of English:

1. A polar representation of a complex number is its modulus |z| and its argument arg(z)

2. The absolute value of a complex number is a very similar concept to Pythagoras' Theorem for right angle triangles.

3. The first thing we do is plot them on a graph, with the reals on the x-axis and the imaginarys on the y-axis.

4.
z = a + ib for a, b є R, z є Z

a is called the real part of z while b is the imaginary part of z.

5. Complex numbers may be shown graphically and compared on what is called the argand diagram.

6. Representing a complex number in the exponential form.

z=|z|e^(iθ)

7. We call this the Argand diagram. It consists of a pair of axes just like the real axes.

8. The absolute value of z = a + ib is |z| and is given by |z| = sqrt(a^2 + b^2)

9. The equation x^2 + 1 = 0 has no solution in real numbers because there is no solution to sqrt(-1).

10. This theorem can be used to evaluate equations such as (1-4i)^7. Also it can be useful for finding complex roots and nth roots of unity.

11. Thus the complex numebrs contain every real number, the value of b is simply zero.

12. Here, a number is thought of in terms of it's absolute value and it's argument, which is shown geometrically as it's angle above the real axis. 13. z bar (complex conjugate of z) is a reflection in the real axis on the Argand diagram.

Now, some of these are fairly obvious. So I thought. But he went through the first 2 comments and practically rewrote them from scratch, so I'm worried I'm missing something - in my eyes most have minor English errors or are doing something like labelling the axes incorrectly. 12 is just bad.

And for anyone reading from my university, remember angryflower!

Apparently we're meant to get people who are sensitive of egos to read our dissertations. I thought of you lot :)

[acropolis]

Originally Posted by Appocomaster

Ok, I'm now in my 3rd year doing Maths at university. We've now got this module called "Mathematical Writing". Fair enough, as we're doing a project and so I assumed this was how to use the software and so on.

How WRONG could I be?

That's just an excuse to attempt to teach 100 people how to use correct English and explain our ideas fully. I can see the point, as it might well lead to more coherent and better written projects, but still..... apparently we need a dictionary and a theosarus. HA!

The initial 7 sentences to correct were these (I got about 3 right in 10 minutes, btw):

1. Using this method we find the complimentary function.

2. This is called the dependant variable.

3. After some calculation we arrive at the number 42. Which is the answer.

4. This is an example of a seperable equation.

5. The function has it's only real roots at x=0 and x=1.

6. The numerical method trys to find a root for the polynomial by iteration but definately struggles to converge for some choices of intial value.

7. We look for real roots of the polynomial x^2 + 2x + 1 = 0.

Anyone who gets all 7 instantly was obviously in the lecture.

1. e
2."
3.;
4. a
5. -'
6. ie
7. the

?

[Appocomaster]

Originally Posted by acropolis

1. e
2."
3.;
4. a
5. -'
6. ie
7. the

?

yes
no (though perhaps)
no (close though)
yes
yes
half
no

[acropolis]

7 isn't a polynomial; that might be a problem.

[Appocomaster]

we spent about 10 minutes in class guessing that fact

[MrL_JaKiri]

The other half of 6 is that "initial" only has 2 i's in it.

[Appocomaster]

Unfortunately that was just a typo by me. Fixed

[MrL_JaKiri]

"struggles" is a bad word, as it assumes some kind of effort on the part of the algorith (6 again).

[Appocomaster]

before you go through it word by word, the other thing that's wrong with 6 is that the wrong "definately" is used - definitely, not definately.

[MrL_JaKiri]

Originally Posted by Appocomaster

before you go through it word by word, the other thing that's wrong with 6 is that the wrong "definately" is used - definitely, not definately.

The trouble comes from the fact that I'd completely rewrite most of them.

[Appocomaster]

You're more precise than my lecturer though. It was certain you'd post on this thread. I admit, some of them are pretty bad. Hopefully I won't make "example status" with my project

[acropolis]

the next 12 pretty much all need rewritten. the first seven i was ~okay with, pending grammar corrections obviously.

[Nodrog]

Seems pretty pointless - the important parts of a maths paper will be written in logic. The English bits are just to give an explanation of what's going on. ,so it doesnt really matter whether theyre written in silly 'academic English'. If it isnt obviously incorrect, and the meaning is clear, who cares?

[Yahwe]

Originally Posted by Nodrog

Seems pretty pointless - the important parts of a maths paper will be written in logic. The English bits are just to give an explanation of what's going on. ,so it doesnt really matter whether theyre written in silly 'academic English'. If it isnt obviously incorrect, and the meaning is clear, who cares?

shit universities with an image problem

[Appocomaster]

Apparently we get marks for explaining our points better or something. They're trying to create a generation of Mathematicians that can actually explain their ideas even if they spend all the days in darkened rooms with pieces of paper and pencils

[Cannon_Fodder]

Can you explain partial differentiation and above to me (like grad/curl etc)

[Appocomaster]

Sort of :/ the wiki could do it much better.

Partial Differentiation is fairly simple in practice.

Take f(x,y) = (x^2)*(y^2) + xy + x + y + 1 = 0
(^ = to the power of)
basically, when you differentiate with respect to one variable, you treat all the others as constants
so f'(x,y) (or df/dx) = 2 *x *y^2 + y + 1

it's sometimes a bit confusing, because if you look there's a lot more ys when you differentiate with respect to x, and more xs when you differentiate wrt y.

grad and curl I've been taught about 3 times last year but still don't get / remember. I blame the lecturers

[Nodrog]

On a sidenote, your example sentences need to be completely rewritten, not just corrected.

Originally Posted by Appocomaster

1. A polar representation of a complex number is its modulus |z| and its argument arg(z)

This is meaningless. "The polar representation of a complex number z has 2 parameters; the modulus |z| and the argument arg(z)" at least makes sense.

2. The absolute value of a complex number is a very similar concept to Pythagoras' Theorem for right angle triangles.

"|z|=root(a^2+b^2). Conceptually, |z| is the distance between z and the origin"

3. The first thing we do is plot them on a graph, with the reals on the x-axis and the imaginarys on the y-axis.

"We plot them on a graph"

4.
z = a + ib for a, b [size=4]є [/size]R, z [size=4][size=4]є[/size] [/size]Z

The grammar here is fine, but z is in C, not Z

5. Complex numbers may be shown graphically and compared on what is called the argand diagram.

"We can plot complex numbers on an argand diagram"

6. Representing a complex number in the exponential form.

This is a sentence fragment and I've no idea what it means.


The rest are equally terrible.

[Appocomaster]

It was the first year they did this, somewhat justifying the need for doing the course in general. It was the first project they did, and I think he chose some of the bad examples to drive home his points. Lecturers like justifying their modules :-)

[acropolis]

Originally Posted by Nodrog

This is a sentence fragment and I've no idea what it means.

that's what i thought at first too, but on second look there's an extra line involved:

6. Representing a complex number in the exponential form.

z=|z|e^(iθ)

which indicates that a thought was intended. Needs much work though.