間書原理 2

當有很多人喜歡你時,其實就即是,沒有人喜歡你;

當有很多人仰慕你時,其實就即是,沒有人關心你。

明星就是那樣。

當你有很多朋友時,其實就即是,沒有朋友;

當你有很多朋友(知道你存在的人)時,其實就即是,沒有朋友(知己)。

— Me@2010.08.03

.

.

2010.08.03 Tuesday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

Paul (octopus)

.

Paul (hatched January 2006) is a common octopus living in a tank at a Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany, who is an animal oracle and now retired predictor of football matches, usually international matches in which Germany was playing. He came to worldwide attention with his accurate predictions in the 2010 World Cup.

2010 FIFA World Cup

Paul’s accurate choices for the 2010 World Cup, broadcast live by German news channel NTV, endowed him with celebrity status.  Paul predicted the winners of each of the seven 2010 FIFA World Cup matches that the German team played, against Australia, Serbia, Ghana, England, Argentina, Spain, and Uruguay.

Paul correctly predicted the outcome of the semi-final, by choosing the food in the box marked with the Spanish flag. German supporters drew hope from his incorrect choice for the Germany versus Spain match in the UEFA Euro 2008 but were disappointed.

Paul maintained a 100% accurate record during the tournament by correctly predicting Spain’s victory over the Netherlands in the final.

— Wikipedia on Paul (octopus)

.

.

.

2010.07.13 Tuesday ACHK

Metamathematics

Richard’s paradox (Richard 1905) concerning certain ‘definitions’ of real numbers in the English language is an example of the sort of contradictions which can easily occur if one fails to distinguish between mathematics and metamathematics.

— Wikipedia on Metamathematics

2010.05.31 Monday ACHK

唔識就飛 2

數學品德 2

Pure Maths 12

這段改篇自 2010 年 2 月 7 日的對話。

即使你明白,那仍是要花很長時間練習的:練習「不要堅持去想那些想不通的題目」 和 練習「不要理會隨之而來的不舒服感覺」。

其中一種練習的方法是,你每次做 Pure Maths(純數學)的功課時,也把那份功課當作是考試。每次溫習時,也將自己的心理狀態化成考試模式。考試的特性是,遇到不懂的題目,而又毫無頭緒時,就千萬不要繼續想。反而,你應該立刻跳去下一題。

(LWT:考試有時都會有「堅持繼續想」的情況 …)

正正是因為考試時,時常有這一個壞習慣,你更加要在平日溫習時,練習如何防範它。當你每日都在考試模式時,就會每日都遇到這個問題。

(LWT:那就可以訓練到自己不理自己的感受?)

當你每日都遇到「有題目想不通」的情況時,你就會習慣了「唔識就飛」(想不通就立刻停止原本的題目,去做下一題),無論你的感受有多麼不舒服。

(LWT:那我如果做不到呢?)

不會做不到的。做不到的話,都要做到。當一個人的生命受到威脅時,他什麼事情都會做到。即是話,你不訓練到自己「唔識就飛」的話,你就拿不到好成績,入不到大學。這樣,你的「大學生命」就受到威脅。所以,即使你宣稱「做不到」,也要做到。

— Me@2010.05.06

2010.05.06 Thursday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

Past papers 6

雖然原理你已明白,但是到你執行時,一定受你原本的習慣所影響,未必能妥善貫徹。所以,這些心理技巧和工作方法,一定要在平日溫習時先行練習,養成習慣,化成自然反應。

當年我考 ALevel pure maths (高考純數學)時, section A(短題目)竟然 7 題題目中,有 4 題不懂做。但是,我當時十分鎮定,立刻停止不懂的題目,儲存住那些時間,先去做 section B(長題目)。完成所有 section B 的題目後,我才回頭做剛才不懂的 4 題 section A 短題目,結果 4 題都給我想通了。

那時,我為何可以那麼鎮定呢?現在的我反而沒有那麼鎮定。大部分人亦不會那麼鎮定,去立刻停止當時想不到的題目。通常都會覺得 “只差一點點,就會想通那道題目” ,所以再花一些時間。結果還是想不到。但是已花了額外的時間去想,放棄的話會更加心有不甘,所以會花再多的時間去想。 … … 那樣,就會不知不覺墮進惡性循環,浪費極多的時間。

高考時的我可以那麼鎮定,是因為我平日溫習時,幾乎每日都做按年份的 pastpaper。做 pastpaper 會限時間和計分數。每日都有模擬考試,所以已經習慣了 “有題目想不通” 的情況。”唔識就飛” (想不通就立刻停止原本的題目,去做下一題)已成了我的反射動作。

所以說,我不斷提醒你們的,是一些考試必須的情緒技巧,一定要在平日已經練習好。否則,你在考試時的心理質素差的話,即使知識水平夠,你也不能獲取高分數。

— Me@2010.03.06

2010.03.08 Monday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

西瓜

有些句子有意思,有些句子沒有意思。而有意思的句子之中,可再分成兩類:analytic propositions(重言句/恆真式)和 synthetic propositions(綜合句)。

重言句只是概念之間的關係(relations of ideas)。例如:

1. 冰箱內有西瓜或者沒有西瓜。

2. 我爺爺是我爸爸的爸爸。

重言句的好處是它絕對準確。不好處是它沒有任何信息內容,對世界沒有任何描述。

綜合句是對事實的陳述(matters of facts)。例如:

1. 冰箱內有西瓜。

2. 愛因斯坦是我爸爸的爸爸。

綜合句的不好處是有可能錯。好處是它有信息內容,對世界有描述。

邏輯學和純數學是重言句系統。

物理學和其他科學是綜合句系統。

— Me@2010.02.15

2010.02.15 Monday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

Multiple time dimensions

Two dimensional time 6.1

.

Physics

Special relativity describes spacetime as a manifold whose metric tensor has a negative eigenvalue. This corresponds to the existence of a “time-like” direction. A metric with multiple negative eigenvalues would correspondingly imply several timelike directions, i.e. multiple time dimensions, but there is no consensus regarding the relationship of these extra “times” to time as conventionally understood.

Philosophy

An Experiment with Time by J.W. Dunne (1927) describes an ontology in which there is an infinite hierarchy of conscious minds, each with its own dimension of time and able to view events in lower time dimensions from outside. His theory was often criticised as exhibiting an unnecessary infinite regress.

— Wikipedia on Multiple time dimensions

.

.

2010.02.11 Thursday ACHK

間書原理

Wikipedia
public domain image

陽之極為陰 陰之極為陽

《漫畫榮格》

我們平日看書時會間書:用紅筆間低重要的句子。

間書的一個極端是一句也不間。那我們就不知哪些是重要句子。

間書的另一個極端是句句間。那我們也不知哪些是重要句子。

— Me@2003-2004

2007.11.18 Sunday 2010.02.05 Friday (c) CHK2 ACHK

Past papers

“Past papers” means “past HKCEE/HKAL examination papers”. The topic is for Hong Kong students who are facing the HKCEE or HKAL. But the general principles can also be used for tackling other public examinations.

.

做 pastpaper 有兩種方法:

.

1. 按年份做:例如今天做 1990 年的考試題目,明天做 1991 年的考試題目,如此類推。

每次一定要計時計分。即是要限時完成,完成後要為自己批改,計分數。然後做改正。

這方法有多個好處:

  • 每次計時間計分數,相當於每次也是模擬考試。每次除了考驗自己,對該科的學識外,同時也訓練自己的,心理質素、時間管理、檢驗答案 等技巧。

  • 每次也知道自己的分數,可以客觀知道,自己的實力,不會有無謂的自卑,或者不切實際的期望。每天有一個明確分數,可以見到自己的進步。這樣就可以避免,不必要的不安情緒。

  • 因為每年的 pastpaper 都包含了,幾乎所有課題 (topics)。這樣,可以避免「溫了一個 topic 後,會忘記之前 topic」 的情況:不斷按年份做 pastpaper,自然不斷反芻所有 topic,記得所有 topic。

.

2. 按 topic 做:有兩種情況,應該按 topic 練 pastpaper:

  • 有新學的 topic

  • 有特別弱的 topic

按 topic 做 pastpaper 時,應該先做 MC (Multiple Choices)。MC 可以先幫你,釐清概念 (concepts):

MC 不像 LQ (Long questions)。每題 LQ 都分成幾 part,逐步教你完成整題題目。即使你不完全明白該題目,也可以拿到一定的分數。但是,MC 是沒有步驟提示的。而且,同一題MC 的各個選擇,都相當接近,concept 稍為不清晰,一分都得不到。

每個 topic/chapter 其實來來去去考的,都只是幾個主要的,concept 或者技巧。對初學者來說,要知道該幾個 concept,或技巧是什麼。並不容易。但是,當同類(同一 topic) 的MC放在一起時,由於它們會用不同的字眼,不斷地重複問,同樣的幾個 concept,即使對初學者而言,都會對那幾個主要concept/技巧,有較深刻的印象。

記住:按 topic 做 pastpaper 時,先做 MC,再做 LQ。

.

兩種方法都要使用。兩種方法相輔相成:按年份做,自然知道自己, 在哪些 topic 特別弱,從而針對該幾個 topic,專練該幾個 topic 的 pastpaper。

— Me@2010.01.10

— Me@2010.05.21

.

.

2010.05.21 Friday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

Complex plane as a connection between differentiation and integration

The coefficients in a Taylor series may be calculated by differentiation, while those in a Fourier Series may be calculated by integration. Since these two types of series are really the same in the complex plane, this suggests that there exists some hidden connection between differentiation and integration that the only complex number can reveal.

— Visual Complex Analysis p.79, by Tristan Needham

2009.12.31 Thursday ACHK

藉口

.

原因有時間性.

理由沒有時間性.

— Mr Lee

.

.

原因不等於理由.

cause \ne reason

原因沒有對錯.

原因和結果只是客觀描述事件發生的時間先後次序.

理由有對錯.

.

.

e.g.

救災不力的原因是事前不知道災難的嚴重性.

但這不是理由.

作為領袖, 有責任預計最壞的情況.

.

.

藉口是

把原因(cause)誤作為理由(reason).

.

— Me

.

.

.

2009.08.24 Monday \copyright ACHK

Contents Chapter 1

Contents

Preface 緣起

1 Additional Mathematics

.

1.1 General Mathematics
1.1.1 Analytic and Synthetic
1.1.2 Logic and Pure Mathematics
1.1.3 Scene One
1.1.4 Scene Two
1.1.5 Constrast
1.1.6 Mathematics

1.2 Additional Additional Mathematics
1.2.1 Deduction and Induction
1.2.2 Mathematical Induction
1.2.3 數學歸納法
1.2.4 數學感應法

2 Applied Mathematics
3 Storyline
4 Master
5 Writing
6 Doctor
7 Painting

.

A Storyarc

.

.

2008.05.24 Saturday \copyright CHK^2

1.1.6 What is Mathematics?

As long as you can realize the difference between analytic statements and synthetic statements, you can know what pure mathematics is.

Pure Mathematics is a system of useful analytic statements.[10]

Pure Mathematics is a system of useful tautologies, whether obvious or unobvious.

In Physics, every generation of physicists have to update the previous theories. For example, Einstein’s theory of gravity has updated Newton’s, explaining what Newton’s gravitation could not explain. But for Pure Maths, although every generation of mathematicians also create new mathematics, the new theories do not and cannot contradict the old ones. For example, “1+1=2” is always true, even in thousands of years later.[11]

1.1.7 Why maths is always true but physics is not?[12]

Pure Maths is a system of analytics statements. Analytic statements say nothing about the world. When you say nothing, you cannot be wrong.

.

[10] In Philosophy of Mathematics, this is called the Formalist’s theory of Mathematics. There is a bug in the formalist’s system. It is about the status of the axiom of infinity. For reference, see Bertrand Russell’s Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy.

[11] Mathematics is eternal, as it is timeless, or outside time.

[12] Mr. Lee

.

.

2008.05.20 Tuesday \copyright CHK^2

1.1.5 Contrast

Table 1.1: Contrasting

.

Analytic

Synthetic

Logic
Pure Mathematics

Applied Mathematics
Physics

Relations of ideas

Matter of fact[6]

Deduction

Induction

Say nothing

Say something[7]

Always correct

Maybe wrong

Theory

Experiment

Software

Hardware

Computer Science

Computer Engineering

Mathematical Geometry

Physical Geometry

.

[6] David Hume
[7] about the physical world

.

.

2008.05.17 Saturday \copyright CHK^2