From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Msuck: nntp://news.gmane.io/gmane.science.mathematics.categories/3252 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Eduardo Dubuc Newsgroups: gmane.science.mathematics.categories Subject: longdivision Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2006 15:23:21 -0300 (ART) Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1241019185 7913 80.91.229.2 (29 Apr 2009 15:33:05 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:33:05 +0000 (UTC) To: categories@mta.ca Original-X-From: rrosebru@mta.ca Mon Apr 17 16:55:13 2006 -0300 Return-path: Envelope-to: categories-list@mta.ca Delivery-date: Mon, 17 Apr 2006 16:55:13 -0300 Original-Received: from Majordom by mailserv.mta.ca with local (Exim 4.61) (envelope-from ) id 1FVZgI-0002Q7-Ao for categories-list@mta.ca; Mon, 17 Apr 2006 16:46:42 -0300 Original-Sender: cat-dist@mta.ca Precedence: bulk X-Keywords: X-UID: 50 Original-Lines: 30 Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.science.mathematics.categories:3252 Archived-At: "Most people's idea of what I do as a research mathematician is long division to lots of decimal places. But fundamentally, mathematics isn't about numbers - it's about finding structure and logic and connections." Yes, but do not despise long division !! Certainly, mathematics is about "finding structure and logic and connections", but it is also about numbers and particulary about "long division to lots of decimal places". I belive that those who did not found any pleasure in developing the ability to perform long division to a lot of decimal places when they were kids, will never find and/or develop mathematically meaningful "structure and logic and connections". I belive that good mathematicians are able to perform complicated calculations, and find pleasure on it, even if it is not what they currently do. "Numbers, algorithms and calculations" as well as "structure, connections and logic", are at the core of mathematics. Ah !, and do not forget "proofs". e.d.