On math I don’t (yet) understand

There are a bunch of mathematics that touch on things I have worked on, am likely to work on or will work on.

Fourier series and fourier transforms – I like them.  I use them.  I do NOT have any kind of grasp on how they work.   I’ve covered a lot of the math leading up to them but they still elude me.   I’m missing something here!

Topography – My specific approach via GIS means that – again – I use a lot of things without truly understanding them.   On the flip side, mostly this field makes sense to me … it doesn’t hurt that I love reading on it.

Multivariable calculus – on one side, I use this a lot.   On the other, specific parts still escape me.    I do not know if I know it or not.  I have formally studied but due to having to care for a roommate going through a crisis, I missed a little too much of the class.   I do enjoy working with these though – so whether I grasp them or not has yet to be proven.

eigenvectors / eigenvalues – my one failing in linear algebra.    I’m close to understanding them – they feel “on the tip of the tongue” as it were.  I just haven’t needed to know them enough to get that final step.   This could actually be the key cause of why fourier analysis escapes me.   I will have to study this further.

In kinematics: the connection (if any) between circular momentum and linear momentum.   I’ve never found a connection actually.  Is there one?  (all of my references tend to cover one OR the other, but not both simultaneously)

There’s no shortage of other mathematics I don’t grasp.    For the other side – mathematics that seem intuitive to me are (some) multivariable calculus (integrals/derivatives), a lot of computer science (I consider this a branch of mathematics.  I may be short on terms of reference but with a CS reference on hand I’ve had few difficulties reading papers).   The bits of topography that do make sense are a lot of fun.   Linear algebra across various spaces is – well a lot of my computer graphics work is dependant on understanding it.

I’d love to learn more.   Mathematics are deeply important to how I understand the world and as yet I’m missing far too many points of reference.   Even though access to anything university level is vastly restricted to me at the moment – I will continue to study.

Advertisement