Using Anki to Study Mathematics

[@KyleBroder]

👍 I have not had the opportunity to teach mathematics as much lately, given the amount of focus I have given to my research. I enjoy the process of teaching and interacting with students and so have decided to return to some online tutoring. If you're interested in personal help, I've posted my tutoring services on Fiverr: www.fiverr.com/s/dDYkBlz

[@adityakhanna113]

That's a really good idea actually. We often use flashcards and pop quiz each other on theorems and examples around tests. It's not rote learning at all but more like refreshing. Secondly, the role of rote learning in math is such a rollercoaster. When you're a kid and even in high school, pure memorization can get you really far. As you get into actual math, the sheer focus on internalizing the concept makes rote learning an almost sinful thing to do. But that's the subtle thing, you *need* to memorize in math, just not in the way that you would rote in school. Once you have fully grasped the concept you need to store the digested pieces somewhere so that they are ready to use next time. The best math people i know, have a lot of knowledge just tucked away and can summon it at will. This memorised content can no doubt be derived from scratch by them but it'd be a waste of energy to do so. How could you expect me to handle integrals of sequences if I keep forgetting about Fatou's Lemma. It's like meal prep, you need to know what to have readymade and what to cook from scratch

[@albertwood8836]

Anki is a life changing software, and has really improved my ability to understand maths seminars - since just forgetting a single concept can cause you to completely lose the thread of a lecture... I just wish I'd started using it sooner! Too often in modern education, people disparage the practice of rote learning. In fact, internalising concepts deeply by repetition allows your brain to more effortlessly use those concepts to solve harder problems.

[@MrValsung]

are there particular 'packets' you can download on various subjects? I've been considering using Anki for a while now, but have never used the software before

[@albertwood8836]

@@MrValsung my opinion is that it works best if you make the cards yourself. You can certainly find lots of pre-made anki decks that people have uploaded, but usually not precisely in the subject that you want. For really popular topics (e.g. to prepare for specific tests) you'll likely find something.

[@SuperBearxDDD]

I totally agree with you! Anki is a game-changer, especially for math. It’s so easy to lose track of a lecture if you forget just one concept. And I love what you said about rote learning! Alfred North Whitehead puts it well in An Introduction to Mathematics when he says, “Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them.” Basically, the more we practice and repeat things, the easier it gets to use those concepts when tackling tougher problems. You’re spot on about how important that kind of learning is. It’s a shame that a lot of the education system doesn’t see it that way. If I’d started using Anki sooner, I think it would have really helped my math skills!

[@SuperBearxDDD]

This is the large fragment: ""It is a profoundly erroneous truism, repeated by all copy-books and by eminent people when they are making speeches, that we should cultivate the habit of thinking of what we are doing. The precise opposite is the case. Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them. Operations of thought are like cavalry charges in a battle-they are strictly limited in number, they require fresh horses, and must only be made at decisive moments.""

[@revisaluiza]

Omg thank you SO MUCH! I´ve been strugling with this for over 2 years now. I'll include Anki in my math reviews too! Thank you!!!

[@mastershooter64]

Why is Dr.Trefor staring into my soul?

[@mlele7372]

Why do you ask? What are you hiding?

[@thomasgarcia8118]

some courses like linear algebra are basically a mathematical language. My professor tests us mostly on how well we know theorems and applying them to different situations with usually easier calculations on the exam. Anki definitely works for math as well. I might even use it for calc 2 for trig identities and common IBP derivatives I can just memorize to save time

[@Spacexioms]

Interesting way to apply active and passive learning

[@etimber6195]

Hi. Can you please make a tutorial on Anki and how you use it? Thank you. Happy New Year!

[@talkingbirb2808]

yep, I graduated and forgot everything, because why remember math lol

[@JasonSantos1]

I like