Posted by
Tom Carter on
Oct 09, 2005; 6:03am
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/Getting-Math-Chops-Back-Up-tp520630p520636.html
Owen -
One approach is to try taking yourself in some particular (new)
direction, that is likely to push you to have (relevant) "better Math
chops" in order to understand the stuff . . . When you get stuck,
back up and find an appropriate source for the particular item at hand.
Part of the difficulty is that traditional "mathematical
maturity" (e.g., Calc I, II, III, ODE, PDE, Linear Algebra, Prob./
Stats., Complex Variables . . .) may not really be what's necessary
in particular for the specifics at issue . . .
I've been working my way through Bernt Oksendal's "Stochastic
Differential Equations," and N.V. Krylov's "Introduction to the
Theory of Random Processes" . . .
A related approach is to work through a book that just casually
uses a bunch of relevant maths, where they can be seen in context. I
like Hamming's "Coding and Information Theory", Rieke (et al.)
"Spikes" (particularly the appendix stuff), Denny and Gaines'
"Chance in Biology," and Bar-Yam's "Dynamics of Complex
Systems" (full text online at
http://necsi.org/publications/dcs/ )
as examples . . .
tom
On Oct 8, 2005, at 2:07 PM, Owen Densmore wrote:
> Having been a Physicist years ago, I'd gotten fairly proficient in
> Math. But having spent a career in technology, I've gotten quite
> rusty. So I'm looking for getting my math skills back on line.
>
> I've found a few interesting books that are reviews of most of
> undergraduate math:
>
> Mathematical Techniques D. W. Jordan, Peter Smith
>
http://tinyurl.com/dz5qw>
> All the Mathematics You Missed : But Need to Know for Graduate School
> Thomas A. Garrity
>
http://tinyurl.com/98rsm>
> Math Refresher for Scientists and Engineers John R. Fanchi
>
http://tinyurl.com/c6ybw>
> These are all quite good in their own unique ways.
>
> Does anyone else have hints for getting back online? Doesn't have to
> be a single book, a series would be fine. Even on-line courses could
> work. But alas, Santa Fe, though great for complexity and great
> folks, has no university that would help. Maybe Albuquerque's UNM?
>
> Thanks!
>
> -- Owen
>
> Owen Densmore
>
http://backspaces.net -
http://redfish.com -
http://friam.org>
>
>
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