, whereas Engineers/ Physicists use Newtonian / Lagrangian notion.

The second method always seems to a little messy and easy to make errors with (mistaking orders due to not including the right number of primes).

It was actually a bit of a Maths joke about how we all use the same notation, but appropriate it differently depending on what we're doing.

I also just prefer Leibniz' notation. Call me a Romantic.

...

Nevermind :frown:

.

Edit: You did Maths at UCL, so what I just said was pretty much pointless. :tongue:

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(edited 13 years ago)

Brilliant!

Original post by jelly1000

So sad that he hasn't known what its like to have a normal, fun, carefree childhood.

Considering hia autism, I think he'd be much happier with what he's doing now then struggling to fit in with kids who don't understand.

Off topic: Something about Child prodiges always bugs me. They do this really complex maths from a very young age, but surely that must mean he was introduced to complex maths from a very young age. His parents aren't mathematical, and his school probably wouldn't have handed him calculus, so how did he start doing this? Unless, when it sais he taught himself the maths, it means he derived them? That seems unlikely. I hope this doesn't sound like envy: it's not. I'm just curious how this comes about. From my experience, it would be, even for someone as capable as him, that he would go to school just like everyone else, but act differently and think differently to everyone else. He wouldn't fit in - He would very liekly spend a lot of time on sites such as wikipedia: but how would he have known to come across something like calculus....
Can someone help me out here?

Reply 28

kaosu_souzousha

15

smart kiddo

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 29

lukas1051

18

Every time I think I'm actually alright at physics, and I get most of the simple stuff, I see something like this.

Reply 30

Ewan

15

Original post by TwilightKnight

...

Lol I don't think it matters too much, as long as what you actually write down is correct. You'll find university lecturers all use different kinds of notation, it often doesn't even seem to follow any logical pattern - sometimes changing notation mid proof for instance :sigh:

Original post by Tomato_Soup1992

Considering hia autism, I think he'd be much happier with what he's doing now then struggling to fit in with kids who don't understand.

Off topic: Something about Child prodiges always bugs me. They do this really complex maths from a very young age, but surely that must mean he was introduced to complex maths from a very young age. His parents aren't mathematical, and his school probably wouldn't have handed him calculus, so how did he start doing this? Unless, when it sais he taught himself the maths, it means he derived them? That seems unlikely. I hope this doesn't sound like envy: it's not. I'm just curious how this comes about. From my experience, it would be, even for someone as capable as him, that he would go to school just like everyone else, but act differently and think differently to everyone else. He wouldn't fit in - He would very liekly spend a lot of time on sites such as wikipedia: but how would he have known to come across something like calculus....
Can someone help me out here?

He will of been shown the material, but while it takes most people a long time to understand things he will understand them instantly. It's perfectly possible he figured out elementary calculus on his own though without having heard about it, but I wouldn't of thought that would be the case having grown up in the states.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 31

GodspeedGehenna

3

He'll inevitably become ****ed up by late teenagehood like most child prodigies.

Reply 32

INeedToLoseWeight

When I was eight I think I was still struggling over chimney sums!!!

Reply 33

mintmocha

13

Um, okay logging off TSR...
Off to revise for A'levels!

Reply 34

innerhollow

18

That is the most mind-blowing thing ever.

Original post by jelly1000

So sad that he hasn't known what its like to have a normal, fun, carefree childhood.

A normal childhood is incredibly overrated. Clearly this kid is extremely passionate about Physics and is able to pursue his topic of interest from a very young age. Sounds like a better childhood than the "normal" childhood I had.

He does have some behavioural and development issues, but I hope that he will flourish in the environment he's been provided with.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 35

MostCompetitive

2

Albert Einstein didn't have Asperger's syndrome. Still, it is pretty special, even for someone with Asperger's syndrome, to have an IQ of 170 and be dealing with all of those mathematical concepts at that age.

Reply 36

im so academic

15

Original post by Persie

I feel so stupid and insignificant now.

Agreed. **** me, he taught himself all of that maths in a week?

:colonhash:

Good luck to him either way!

Reply 37

fire2burn

17

Original post by jelly1000

So sad that he hasn't known what its like to have a normal, fun, carefree childhood.

Why is it sad? This kid obviously has a passion and flare for mathematics and can swallow up vast amounts of knowledge far in excess of most adults.

Surely to force him to act like a regular child would simply bore him.