Mathematics Stack Exchange
Mathematics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [advice]

Questions asking for advice on various mathematical matters. Be careful that your question is answerable, and also that it is not a polling question (e.g. "What is the best / your favorite way to...").

Questions asking for advice on various mathematical matters. Be careful that your question is answerable, and also that it is not a polling question (e.g. "What is the best / your favorite way to...").

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Am I too young to learn more advanced math and get a teacher?

I am still 15 years old, but I am very interested in pure math. I have been teaching myself though books, from the internet and from others for the past year or so. I haven't mastered all the topics that are covered in university, just the ones…
Argon
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Learning Roadmap for Algebraic Topology

I am now considering about studying algebraic topology. There are a lot of books about it, and I want to choose the most comprehensive book among them. I have a solid background in Abstract Algebra, and also have knowledge on Homological Algebra(in…
Arsenaler
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How does a non-mathematician go about publishing a proof in a way that ensures it to be up to the mathematical community's standards?

I'm a computer science student who is a maths hobbyist. I'm convinced that I've proven a major conjecture. The problem lies in that I've never published anything before and am not a mathematician by profession. Knowing full well that my proof may be…
Balbanna
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When to give up on a hard math problem?

I practice olympiad problems from books like Putnam and Beyond. Often I come across a problem that I simply can't solve. After $\sim30$ minutes of deep thinking it feels like I'm ramming my head into a brick wall, since I've exhausted all avenues of…
user1299784
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Motivation and methods for self-study

First, a little background: Beginning with calculus in my first semester of college, I fell in love with mathematics. That was the point at which the concepts became interesting to me, and I started reading up, through Wikipedia and various other…
Alex Petzke
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How do I motivate myself to do math again?

I have been thinking of asking for help for a few months now but posting in a public forum like this is intimidating. Still, I am currently in a university studying mathematics as an undergrad. I took quite a few knocks a few months back when I…
Dust
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What should an amateur do with a proof of an open problem?

Assuming that somebody is not an employee of a university, just a math amateur, and makes a proper proof of some well known open math problem, what should he do with it? Publish on the internet for verification or send to some authorities? Is there…
Ztalloc
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Should I be worried that I am doing well in analysis and not well in algebra?

I attend a mostly liberal arts focused university, in which I was able to test out of an "Introduction to Proofs" class and directly into "Advanced Calculus 1" (Introductory Analysis I) and I loved it. I did great in the class. I was not very…
Eric
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How to tell if I'm good enough for graduate school?

I'm concerned about my level of preparation for graduate school. I have decent grades (3.64 GPA, 4.0 in math), great recommendations lined up, and some OK research experience (no publications), but I really don't feel like I'm ready for the next…
Sven
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Nobody told me that self teaching could be so damaging...

Even though I've been teaching myself math for a couple of years now I only just started (a month ago) at the university. My experience is rather mixed. For starters, I'd like to mention that I'm 21 years old. As I understand it, this is not too…
user195750
57
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12 answers

I almost quit self-studying mathematics, but should I continue?

Before I move on to the main idea of this post, I need to tell you some background information about myself. Hopefully, it proves useful for you in giving me advice. I'm a 16 year old high school student who just recently got interested in…
user93971
56
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4 answers

How does one give a mathematical talk?

Sometime tomorrow morning I will be presenting a mathematics talk on something related to commutative algebra. The people present there will probably be two mathematicians (an algebraic geometer and a complex analyst) and some friends of mine. Now…
user38268
55
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7 answers

What does it take to get a job at a top 50 math program in the U.S.?

I'm a senior undergrad right at a small liberal arts college right now who is applying to math PhD programs in the U.S. I would like to eventually become a professor at a relatively good university that has a good environment for doing mathematics.…
Mehta
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Effective Research Notes

Note-taking for research is vital to your success as a mathematician. As I look back at some of my handwritten notes, I realized how poor they were. I had thought to myself, "What happened?" I was confused on how I should format it, if I should…
Julian Rachman
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What books should I get to self study beyond Calculus for someone about to start undergrad mathematics?

I am struggling to pick out books when it comes to self studying math beyond Calculus. My situation is as follows. I have taken all math courses at my school (up to Calc BC and AP Stats) and I have scored 5's on all of the exams. I am going to major…
schmidt73
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