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Re: Re: Recommended learning exercises for beginners?

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg64129] Re: [mg64103] Re: Recommended learning exercises for beginners?
• From: János <janos.lobb at yale.edu>
• Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2006 00:05:48 -0500 (EST)
• References: <dqad5a$1io$1@smc.vnet.net> <200602010934.EAA23058@smc.vnet.net>
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

On Feb 1, 2006, at 4:34 AM, Paul Abbott wrote:

>> It is not fair to ask students to learn Mathematica and difficult  
>> technical
>> material at the same time.
>
> I disagree. Indeed, if material is designed well, the parallel  
> learning
> can be particularly effective. I do agree that it is important to keep
> in mind the distinction between Mathematica and mathematics.

I was twenty, just before summer, when I asked my favorite physics  
teacher - Miklós Dede of KLTE - to allow me to participate in his  
research area of neutron-gas physics.  When it came to what books  
should I read during the summer, he told me there were no good books  
in Hungarian, but there was the Davidson book in English and its  
Russian translation to start with.  Well, I hated Russian - the  
language of the "freedom bringer" and "people's democracy" - and I  
never learned English up to that point.  He looked at my daunted face  
and told me smiling:

" What is the problem ?  Even the most stupid English people can read  
English. "

Well, in the summer break I got through the Davidson book and from  
there on I was able to read most physics books in English.  And that  
is all that was needed at that time.

My thought is that not all students should learn extra.  Only those  
who want to:)  But, students who do not want to do any extra  
learning, should fold their study and look for some good paying  
physical work.

János


------
"..because Annushka has already bought sunflower oil, and not only  
bought it, but spilled it too."
Bulgakov:  Master and Margarita

• References:
  • Re: Recommended learning exercises for beginners?
    • From: Paul Abbott <paul@physics.uwa.edu.au>