Comments | ladymercury_10: What? Your textbook doesn't mention aliens?

ladymercury_10

What? Your textbook doesn't mention aliens?

Oct 10, 2011 17:51

The authors of my number theory textbook apparently like to make up ridiculous stories about mathematicians to illustrate various principles. Right now I am reading about how Gauss was abducted by aliens from Venus, allegedly to help me learn about modular arithmetic. I kid you not, this sentence comes directly from the book: "Gauss was surprised ( Read more... )

school, math, general nerdery

Comments 13

tasty_kate October 10 2011, 22:53:45 UTC

BEST. TEXT BOOK. EVER.

Why can't they write EVERY text book like that? Particularly mathematics ones?? Wow, I hope that author is sitting on a bucket load for having a sense of humor with number theory.

ladymercury_10 October 10 2011, 22:57:26 UTC

Haha. Number theory would already be pretty fun, but this book just makes it even more entertaining. I hope you're right and these people got paid well.

promethia_tenk October 10 2011, 23:24:32 UTC

THE AWESOMENESS. <3

The only thing I've got that remotely approaches that is that one of my high school math texts had reasonably amusing word problems on occasion. The one I particularly remember involved a space ship hurtling towards Mars at a high velocity and then, at a certain distance away, firing its rockets in reverse. You had to work out how far away they were when they finally changed direction. Turns out they crashed into the surface : P

ladymercury_10 October 10 2011, 23:29:22 UTC

Haha, nice! :D

light_frost October 11 2011, 00:25:07 UTC

That is hilarious! I wish my high school math books were as funny! The most we got were weird names. XD

ladymercury_10 October 11 2011, 02:04:28 UTC

Did you ever get those things where they'd have to name a polygon and they'd try to be clever? Like instead of naming it Triangle ABC it would be Triangle PIG or something like that? I had a textbook once that had a diagram of Triangle OCD and I was like, really, textbook? Are you trying to tell me something? :P

light_frost October 12 2011, 04:55:19 UTC

Unfortunately, no! Well, kind of. Like, it'd the name of the shape...TRI and KITE and so on. Not exactly clever. D:

a_phoenixdragon October 11 2011, 06:45:38 UTC

I think that's kind of what they're there for...that and to show not all mathematicians are stuffy and dry, lol!!

Actually...all of that is pretty damned awesome!

ladymercury_10 October 11 2011, 14:08:47 UTC

Haha, I didn't think mathematicians were boring, but I didn't realize a textbook could be that goofy and still have reasonably serious math.

welshgirl15 October 11 2011, 12:31:00 UTC

Euclid was a baker who thought that too much interest in pie was irrational

I LOVE YOUR TEXTBOOK

ladymercury_10 October 11 2011, 14:07:11 UTC

Haha, I know, right? That was my favorite one. :P