Thread 41333968

I've always been bad at math, got diagnosed with math retardation in school, failed remedial math over and over again and only graduated high school because of some loophole involving being retarded, scored pretty highly on the PSAT and ASVAB on everything but Math, etc., etc., etc.

When I was trying to solve math story problems during some of these tests, I kept thinking to myself, "There must be a simple formula for finding these numbers, but what is it?"

I bought Burrington's Hanbook of Mathematical Tables and Formulas, thinking that would have just what I needed, but it's just a bunch of symbols and phrases that I have practically no familiarity with, with no context or elaboration at all.

It seems like every book on math that I pick up presupposes that I should already know all of these things, like I'm caught in an infinite regression paradox.

When math was taught in school, they always sort of taught it as this thing that just was, totally arbitrary and without any history or application.

Are there any books that tell the story of math, and why math as a discipline is the way it is?

>>41333968 (OP)
I relate to this. Can't help you though. Also not really paranormal
>>>/adv/

>>41333968 (OP)
Math is just a language.

It might be helpful to try to learn a basic programming language like Python and then translate that syntax into math equations.

Anyway, what exactly are you looking to learn? Basic algebra? Calculus? Linear algebra? Geometry? Trigonometry? Or do you want an overview of all of that? Do you want to know the syntax and equations of physics? Chemistry?

>>41333994
I assume he wants to get into some paranormal-adjacent maths, like gematria, numerology, quantum mechanics, or Tesla 369 shit. Let’s hear him out

>>41334003
>I don't even know what I want to learn. Basic practical math, I guess. That's how little I know about math. The practice of calculating numbers you need to know in a given situation.

>>41334017
I don't really have any interest in that stuff because most of it is meaningless to me, except for quantum physics, which as far as I can tell is some brand of sophistry meant to console those worried by determinism.

I do feel that if there were some way to tie learning math in with my natural proclivity for what is called "psychotic" or "delusional: behavior, I would possibly be able to learn it, and I think all of the occult-related math stuff will answer itself the more I discover the origins of math, if such a thing is possible. It seems that the farther back you go in researching the history of any subject that is presented in a dry, boring, and arbitrary why by the contemporary system--math, science, philosophy, etc.--the more you find that it is actual practical and interesting.

The only book that has come close to this for me is a popular science book on the history of the concept of zero.

I thought it wouldn't be an awful idea to ask you guys since this board has some degree of esoteric expertise and a good deal of the origins of math seem to be tied to the occult and philosophy: Pythagoras, Plato, Descartes, etc.

>>41334299
>>41333968 (OP)
The mathematical experience , philip j davis
Story of mathematics , richard mankiewicz

>>41333968 (OP)
>>41334017

Math is a puzzle anon. A formula for reality. Everything is math.

But in the end it’s knowledge that builds upon its self. Start at the basics and work your way up

start with the Greeks (Pythagoras)