I hate feeling so ignorant of math. It's such a huge part of science, and I might as well be looking at Swahili as look at anything beyond basic algebra. I wonder if there's a way to go to the local community college and say, "I want to take Math as a Second Language."

I'm fascinated by higher math that uses letters for numbers (I'm thinking specifically of the numbers e and i), but it makes something in my brain short-circuit when I try to actually learn it beyond what i stands for.

When I first learned that discrete math exists, it was via a conversation, so I didn't know it was "discrete," not "discreet," and I commented that it must be a bunch of numbers in trench coats and fedoras lurking in dark alleys.

And THAT, my friends, is why Teppy will never be a mathematician. I like imagining their inner lives too much.

a bunch of numbers in trench coats and fedoras lurking in dark alleys.

Teppy - those sound like covert numbers, not discreet ones.

::runs away::

ETA ::but returns to point to the story of my last math exam evar, in which I was asked to state why the square root of i was irrational. Five paragraphs and a definition of reality/rationality later..."::

I like imagining their inner lives too much.

"The inner life of Pi: not a cookbook"

It's a winner waiting to be written.

"The inner life of Pi: not a cookbook"

"Pi: Not Dessert, Bitches!!!"

"Planck's Constant: Mrs. Planck relieved"

Which is actually a rip-off from a line from a Barbara Hambly book.

"I've Got Avogadro's Number"

"I've Got Avogadro's Number"

My brother actually wrote a song with that title. At the time, he and I were the only 2 people who (1) got it, and (b) found it HILARIOUS, for lo, we are humongous dorks.

Heh. My friend Gary has a song which includes Pi, Planck's constant and Avogodro.

I like imagining their inner lives too much.

I'm pretty sure most mathematicians have favorite numbers. I myself, though not a mathematician, assign them personalities. This may be why I'm not a mathematician, but there you are.