The Renewal Equation

A math odyssey

Day 100

Happy Gif

This is my 100th daily post. Hooray!

Looking back, I have made both less and more progress than I anticipated. Almost all of the calculus review remains to do, and it’s clear that part of the project is going to be a long haul. On the other hand, my work on calculus prerequisites and logic has been fruitful, and quite a bit of geometry knowledge has returned to me without deliberate review. More importantly, my ability to think mathematically and my joy in doing so have both resurged far beyond my expectations. Overall, I think the project has been a success so far.

I plan to keep going as I have been, for the most part. I’ve decided to begin taking Sundays off from blogging, however, and relaxing my study goals for that day. I think a weekly rest will help me sustain the project long term.

So see you on Monday, faithful readers. Thank you for all your support during these first 100 days.

Responses

  1. Kim J

    Congratulations on 100 days! It’s fantastic to hear that you have found joy in this project.

    Reply
    1. Olly

      Thank you. It has made a tremendous difference in my quality of life, despite all the bad times this spring.

      Reply
  2. yerpa

    Bravo you. It has been a joy to us to see the rebirth of your love of math. I think your standards for your calculus review are high. I expect you would be a good tutor going in from where you are now, but high standards are a good thing, and they are you. Sundays off isn’t just a good idea, I think it is a Commandment, isn’t it?

    Reply
    1. Olly

      I am quite sure I could not currently pass a calculus final. I remember broad concepts and how to differentiate polynomials—I think math majors can still do that post mortem—but I don’t remember any of the things like the product rule, chain rule, and integration by parts.

      I do think I’m going to have to come up with a new approach to my review, though. Doing all of the exercises is excessive and will take forever. It was useful for the remedial sections that covered a year of material in a handful of pages, but it’s not for the regular ones, which take things much slower.

      The commandment is to take Saturday off, if you want to be literal about it. The Episcopal catechism glosses it as “to set aside regular times for worship and prayer.” There are things I try to avoid doing on Sunday, though. Math isn’t one of them.

      Reply
  3. Tim McL

    The project has been a gigantic success. You have brought joy and energy to your friends as well as to yourself. I’m pretty sure Olly Unchained counts for more than the Chain Rule.

    Reply
    1. Olly

      Hopefully soon we will see Olly Unchained wielding the chain rule.

      Reply
      1. Tim McL

        I like the word “wielding.” I can’t draw this well or quickly, but I have in my mind a cartoon of an Olly Unchained wielding the Chain Rule. On the ground lie pieces of broken chain saying $(f\circ g)’$, with one character on each link. The Olly is holding a medieval weapon with a handle to which is attached a chain to which is attached a spiked ball. (It appears these things are called morning stars.) Either the spiked ball or the handle says $f'(g(x))g'(x)$, or maybe $(f’\circ g)\cdot g’$.

        I hope you’ll forgive me for an image that is not entirely Friendlike.

        Reply
        1. Olly

          Heh. Maybe I will try to draw that sometime. I’m out of practice drawing cartoons, but I used to enjoy it, as you know.

          Reply
  4. Uncajoody

    This makes me so happy

    Reply
    1. Olly

      Yay!

      Reply
  5. yerpa

    hmm, looks as if I am going to have to relearn the chain rule to get all that

    Reply

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