Sue Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I once heard an
> English lit professor say that math could be an
> art, and that mathematicians might derive great
> joy and satisfaction from the aesthetics of it.

"Could be"? "Might"? It is a constant wonder to me that so many people seem blind to the beauty and elegance of maths. It must be akin to going through life blind to great art, deaf to great music, literature and poetry. Even more of a wonder to me is the phenomenon that so many otherwise intelligent people actively choose to cut themselves off from such an elegant facet of understanding/appreciating the world.

> Also, I believe that some people have a particular
> talent for math and actually enjoy it.

I have no great talent for it -- I seem to have a knack for Geometry, and Applied Maths is mostly within my capability, but Pure Maths -- the really interesting stuff -- has always been a bit of a struggle, even at undergraduate level. I tend to gravitate towards geometrical (as opposed to analytical) solutions/explanations of pure mathematical things.

> Imagine.

Imagine not!

>
> Anyway, I like Tonkin's attitude towards this
> book. I think I'll take a look at it and just
> hope to God that it's readable for me.

Hedge your bets: get it from a library.




--

Stephen