One Man's Mission to Unveil Math's Beauty
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2022
- "Students haven't been taught that math is discovery," says Richard Rusczyk, founder of Art of Problem Solving. "Math is a creative discipline-you're creating castles in the sky." Rusczyk has a vision for bringing “joyous, beautiful math” - and problem-solving - to classrooms everywhere.
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Read Erica Klarreich's written interview with Richard Rusczyk at Quanta Magazine: www.quantamagazine.org/richard-rusczyk-is-a-math-evangelist-who-preaches-problem-solving-20220913/
You can also explore our other education coverage here: www.quantamagazine.org/tag/education
Who wrote the MUSIC in this video. I love it. Thanks for sharing. Hope yiu can tell me.
Absoutely agree that pre-uni maths, at least when I was educated, lacked all of the fascination of "real" maths. A pair of comp-sci lectures, proving Dijkstra's algorithm, really opened my eyes; I started teaching myself the parts not covered in my degree soon after.
Thanks, David Weir (Sussex Uni)
I think there's a level of mathematical understanding and ability you need to get to until you truly behold and appreciate the beauty of maths
I almost failed geometry in 9th grade. Now I'm majoring in math!
💪👏🎉
same! lol
I’ve always been horrible at math but I got an A in geometry sophomore year. Pretty easy versus algebra 3/4
wholesome 💯
Just about all of my math teachers were atrocious, especially the woman who taught plane geometry. The only exception was a young woman who taught calculus at tech school. I actually understood what was being taught.
I love this, especially the focus on coming back and trying again when you get something wrong. I believe that one of the most important traits we can encourage for success in a discipline like science, maths, engineering, philosophy, etc. is perseverance. So often, the stories behind some of the most incredible discoveries in history are stories of 'almost defeat' - had they given up, a golden nugget of knowledge would not have been uncovered.
The 3 Ps of success are passion, persistence, and perseverance!
@@optimusctts Would you be willing to explain what this is?
How about Desire, Drive and Determination?@@rfk223
A whole class in early high school should be focused on just:
- exploring what can be done with math. No formula nor exam. Just pure exploration, supported with "what types of math could be/were used to achieve X".
Or even CS but just the needs for it.
I cannot imagine the number of mathematical prodigies that could've been, if only math was taught properly
Math history maybe
@@nitesan2814, history doesn't relate to young people. And its not applicable.
After listening to a Survivalist documentary and hearing the guy's wish to see some survivalist concepts taught in school, I was left thinking:
- we should have a "The Human Condition" class, that starts from "Man vs Nature" surviving in the woods mixed with the basic math working against you, gradually working up to "Nature Engineered for Man" that gradually goes through the history of infrastructure and civic institutions built to save us from that dreaded nature, and the math that was required to get us where we are... and the ongoing threats to our infrastructure.
That way, it's everything Physical + Math/Science + History + Social Policies/Sciences.
And a lot more engaging, when you understand that the equation before you is what keeps you away from a freezing death somewhere in the woods and snow, thanks to electric grids. Frost which you experienced by going out in a survivalist experience. Among other scenarios.
Seriously, that should at least be the first semester so that students are motivated to learn more math
I was in the math club in high school, and we had a copy of the original "Art of Problem Solving" book, and I absolutely loved it. It's my one of my most favorite books of all time. It goes through, step-by-step, how and why something is true instead of blindly showing you formulas and algorithms to memorize.
I just love it so much
almost had it when he said uncomfortable is learning. actually had a dear friend and tutor for my son teach me something profound, at least to me it has been.
You can't learn without failing. it's the only thing that is required and universal. Today we are taught failure is horrible when actually it's quite the opposite. giving up is horrible. Which is what we do so we don't fail again.
This is such a powerful lesson! Being uncomfortable is where learning happens and struggling is fine.
As someone who used to derive most of my value from being intelligent, it was really uncomfortable when I struggled with an intellectual exercise to. I would feel frustrated and bad about myself. Changing that mindset to a mindset that it's ok to struggle was such a relieve!
How do you not get discouraged with that though and make it still enjoyable most or all of the time?
That was such a revelation for me, too.
I'm currently taking a kind of retooling, and it's frustrating to feel uncomfortable with the process since I've rarely felt that in all my decades of learning.
Good to know that the feeling isn't bad. That it's NECESSARY. That it says, "you're going in the right direction."
This is so true, math is a tool for the advanced Problem solving. A tool that is so elegant and beautiful that when applied properly can blow other people's mind away
My goodness! When I listen to Richard Rusczyk, it's as if I'm hearing my own thoughts out loud! I had this exact same revelation about math soon after graduating from college!
It feels so wonderful to know that Richard, like many others great visionaries, were not a Math Prodigy but he made his way through all the hurdles he faced and imo, so far the teachers i have seen on CZcams he is the an unparalled Maths teacher when it comes to teach students the "Art of problem solving" ! Really a delight to see Quanta interviewing him.
Absolutely amazing video. Everything resonated fully with my thoughts and experiences. Eternally grateful for this vision brought to fruition. Combined with other efforts(MAA, etc.) This company has generationally affected Mathematics.
I just stopped by a school locally myself to reach out to the Math Department and see how I can help grow this view of teaching Problem Solving via the vehicle of Mathematics. Especially how to "solve problems they have never been seen before."
Thank you so much for sharing this video and to Richard for the creation of his vision.
Great to hear you visited your local math dept! Curious how the convo went!!
@@zejugames5045 It went reasonably well. I scheduled an appointment to meet with the Elementary School Math Department head later this week to explore options at how I can help grow interest within the Elementary. Currently the city I live in apparently has no Local Competitions for Elementary Schools, without going into what city I am in, my goal is to angle for cultivating interest in developing a citywide Elementary Competition similar to what Orange County, CA had when I lived there called Math Field Day. Possibly identify and cultivate encourage leadership within each of the Elementary Schools on my side of town to start it just locally, and then expand across the city in subsequent years. I also might try to work with the Middle Schools to see if they are currently doing anything similar, and if not, trying to start the same ball rolling there. Eventually I will post about it if it generates a positive outcome.
As a recent high school graduate, and now a freshman in college, I can strongly agree with this video. It took me a long time until I really appreciated the beauty of science and math, but I found so many of my peers unenthusiastic about such subjects. Great work, I know this will positively impact the lives of many students.
We need more people like him. I had the same exact realization when I got to college. Thank you for all the work you are doing!
When I started thinking of mathematics as developing methods for solving abstract number puzzles, and how the classic learning process of geometry provides a spark into how these abstract puzzle solving methods apply to other situations, I learned to appreciate how developing a mathematical mindset can improve your approach to problem solving in the rest of your life.
I liked this system so much! When I was young, doing chemistry, I always thought that creativity is an essential part to problem-solving and advanced research in general. Thanks for that!
Maths is great, youtubers like 3b1b and mathologer always demonstrate really cool proofs and problems and how the castles are built :D
THANK YOU SO MUCH for leaving the last 20 seconds or so of the video blank and quiet. I find that a lot of very impactful pieces like this... Always end with an add read or call to action.
Which totally ruins the thought process.
I have no doubt you could have gained subscribers and more attention if you had a call to action at the end of this video. So I really do appreciate that conscious effort.
World needs more of this man's mentality.
Richard helped me so much when I was young - my only regret is I wasn't competent enough to take what he was giving so freely. All the best to your efforts Richard.
This is so simply and yet brilliant! I was homeschooled my whole life until I went off to college. My parents didn't believe it was important to have an education beyond the 8th grade. I knew better and did everything I could to teach myself. After I failed my first two whole years of engineering school I realized I was well behind everyone not because I was dumb, but because I was missing the proper prerequisites i.e. high school.
I had to learn how to learn - how to take notes, how to read a text book, how to think logically through problems and it was incredibly difficult to do.
Later, I found it frustrating to do something just to do it, as opposed to understanding why we solve a problem the way we do. That is where the real fulfillment for me comes from.
After I "learned how to learn" I fell in love with it. Ended up spending 10 years in college learning everything I could regardless of whether I was interested in the subject or not. Spread across three different universities I obtained multiple degrees, advanced through every undergrad math, physics, and statistics courses offered, as well as a handful of graduate level courses.
Throughout the process I learned so much more about people and life beyond the classroom. We all want to learn but many of us don't have the opportunity or that opportunity is crushed because of a bad teacher; sometimes it's one bad experience that ends up ruining the entire adventure.
Richard here, has really tapped into something - teaching problem solving i.e. how to think and approach problems. Using visual cues and I'm sure other methods, those students will have tools they can use in life, not just in the classroom.
In my mid thirties, and still obsessed with learning, specifically areas of math. The critical thinking skills I learned from some truly wonderful professors and other folks has helped me in so many ways.
Great work Richard!
Do you have a PhD or masters in math or something else if I may ask?
@@leif1075 No doctorates or masters, I'm not disciplined or motivated enough for one! I have four bachelor degrees: structural engineering, accounting, economics, and social science.
And now I work in various fields ranging from healthcare, to blockchain/crypto startups, and investment banking as a software engineer and data architect, kinda funny how life turns out sometimes you know?!
You may say he's a dreamer.
But he's not the only one.
AOPS is literally my favourite math website! And EVERYTHING that he said resonates with me!
How FABULOUS!!! When I was at school in Cape Town in the 80s, maths was indeed taught as though it was largely arithmetical. It was only through the philosophy of Deleuze and Guattari that I became interested in maths as a way of thinking. How I wish I'd had a teacher like Richard! x
Wow, this is what school math needs, almost anywhere in the world! I see children, even the very most talented, getting frustrated in the current system and this has been getting worse and worse in the past decades. Is there a way I could be part of this initiative?
I’m in my mid twenties now. I’m not great at math but I see the beauty of it! I really want to learn and get better at maths. I really don’t know how to approach learning it this late
Someone who is in a similar situation as you; as a mere beginner advice, I would suggest to get started with any International Math Olympiad problems. I personally follow the book by Engel. It's challenging, fun and greatly rewarding as whole, when viewed interms of learning process.
The most important thing is learning how to figure out what questions to ask.
Learning how to solve a problem is so much more important than the solution. All of my friends who went to really expensive private schools... That's what they learned there. Sometimes a problem is so newer complex you don't even know what questions to ask to begin the process. Teaching people to teach themselves. And that big first step is learning that it's a process... And what steps to take in what order.
And super complex stuff... We might not even know what questions to ask. But if you recognize that then you have a starting point and the rest is history. The journey truly is 95% of the satisfaction. And once you reach a goal and answer... You'll just want to do it all over again. It gives people something to hold onto, helps them figure out how to solve issues... And in such a difficult world that is priceless. Truly the best gift
Generalized behavior and problem solving should have been the baseline of every kindergarten class, at least now people hate school and want to change it.
It's so amazing that you got the author of AOPS, I was absolutely *hooked* once I heard him say that 🤣
I learned a lot from AOPS books when I did math competitions in middle and high school, and I learned how to teach the younger kids while I was in the clubs and again later when I worked as a math tutor for a while, it was really rewarding to be able to come up with a different way of tutoring different kids and still having them learn everything they needed to, definitely easier in a 1-on-1 setting that I had vs a classroom setting like how teachers have to work in haha
More from Richard please, he is amazing and we are an AoPS family. My math obsessed 9 year old daughter says you are her hero!
This guy explained so well what is the essence of maths. I want to show this to all the people who say that "maths is boring, it's just remembering formulas"
@Stratos Fair. Showing a video of someone saying how creative math is not likely to convince someone anti-math anything. They have to see actual examples that they grasp well enough. Or see themselves through learning or being taught the correct way to discover the wonder personally. Someone who’s already sold on math may be impressed by this video but i believe very few if any who have opposite view will as video shows nothing truly of the subject especially in the way discussed in video.
@@shanetroy111 yes, thinking about it again, I think that you have a point. I think this would be more suited for people who are "neutral" and see math as abstract manipulation of numbers and equations that they don't understand
@@shanetroy111 i mean, he does have an educational institution to run. Won't be getting anywhere with that if he started giving the goods away for free.
You got it dead on!!! You could start algebra and graphs to a 4yo, then tangents & calculus soon after......children's minds are an open book which can absorb incredible amounts of ideas. They are after all, learning about the world at an astounding rate.
Math really is beautiful and also fun! It's interactive. You can ask "what if I do x" and then try to formulate a rule for whatever x means in your case. Sometimes that means logical deduction/algebraic proofs, and sometimes you go off a hunch or a nice pattern and you find something surprising
In the background, there is a roundish mathematical construction of mathematical rectangles. Does it have a name? Where can i get one. Thanks.
I agree. Also, need experience of applying math to messy, complicated real world problems.
I used to put a question on the first test for a class for STEM majors where the “correct” answer was something like “I need more information/data to answer this question”. This is a very real and common situation for their future professional lives, but many (most) students were angry at this ‘trick’ question.
I agree. Math is art. Math at schools is like looking at a particle of sand on a beach
Exactly 💯
This type of people is actual need of Modern society.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👏👏👏👏👏
As a person who does aspire to be a competetive coder ,I can realte with that
When i was learning polar coordinates back in school and the 3d geometry i used desmos graphing calculator and i was feeling that there is a supreme harmony in mathematics .Fibonacci sequence,Value of Pi and euler's equations thrilled me in maths.
Maths is art overall.Yes we can say that .Most people don't see that beauty.
I had the same issue with maths, no one ever teaches how to visualise in number. So I left maths and physics. But after long i returned back just to correct what is wrong in math and help develop everyone visualise in mathematical terms which will definitely support physics and other related fields.
To do this I wrote a paper conceptual "correction in dealing with negative number and circle". It shows how to geometrically visualise in maths. It also has some very important derivation and achievements like
Why value of pi is not constant
Why our calculation of negative number is incorrect, like -2 * -2 = 4 is incorrect.
I was thinking and developing content in same pattern, so considering your good cause thought to share some ideas for betterment of future students.
Video is also available on CZcams, you need to just type the name of topic.
I wish I met him as a kid. I didn’t realize how beautiful math was until my 30’s
Math is a creative, visual and intuitive subject. The only problem is that the school system reduces it to exams and drill problems.
Thank you sir
I was nodding my head in agreement with Richard Rusczyk from the get-go. Immediate upvote
Great Video & Informative.
i agree with that. I didn't learn Calculus until my freshman year in college. I was always decent at Math scoring perfect scores on all my New York math regents but not a guru at it and it was boring. Calulus was amazing. Derivation of limits and derivatives was eye opening.
Hii
Nice vedio.... Thanks
I did think that there's probably large swaths of the population whose potential isn't being revealed. I'm glad that they're trying to reach out.
Interesting and worthwhile video.
Unfortunately this is the case with me, I’ve only gotten into a good depth of mathematics currently in university and since I believe I started so late I generally don’t have any real interest in math. Maybe if a system of math was more focused in my earlier education I may have progressed and gained an interest in math.
completely agree. I'm a physics student in my Master's, and I didn't realize how beautiful functions were until I took calculus right before college, and I switched from wanting to major in political science to wanting to major in physics
Amazing!
Love The founder of AOPS!
I’m currently learning discrete math and it feels almost fundamental and I’m wondering why we aren’t thought it earlier
I love the thumbnail - such a cool 3d shape. Where can you purchase it ?
I love this !
Incredibly passionate, your students are luck Mr Moore
Such a great opinion on what mathematics really is
This guy is amazing and what he is saying is so true.
Is it also for highschoolers
Haha… i also used to tell my friends “if you don’t like math this means u haven’t grasped the beauty of it” 😌😅
I‘ve loved math since 11/12 years old! I’ve been always the top student until first year of bachelor that we also had math! I sometimes wonder what would’ve happened had I pursued math in university instead of engineering :/
"Were training kids to compete with computers" yes exactly
What a devotion. Thank you sir!
Y’all should do a video on Living Proof. Maybe do an interview with Dr. Heinrich!
Thank you all very much
"If you are comfort, you are not learning anything!"
You sir are talking about engineering method🙂
If we had ten divisions of teachers like Richard Rusczyk, our problems here in America would be solved very quickly. You have to have teachers who are moral... and at the same time who are able to utilize their primordial instincts to think with feeling... with passion... with judgment... WITH judgment! Because it's critical thinking that saves us.
I hate homework and assignments. Timed tests and inflexible deadlines. I loathe academia and its settings. However when I was in Junior High I learned atomic theory and chemistry easily, enough to even be able to synthesize things. I was shocked to encounter situations where the complex math required for stoichiometry suddenly was not drudgery, but simply something I had to work through. I wasn’t being graded, tested, or had any deadlines. I simply wanted to see nitrate go boom, and math was just one of the tools necessary to do that.
I love AoPS!
I need to learn that origami though
This guy gets it. He is a genius
I have been saying the same all since My early teaching days.. Doing math & Teaching math is so completely different because Solving Math often is devoid of Why are we solving it that way & not someways differently. Hence We are doing it all wrong. Sending a completely wrong vibes about Mathematical Sciences. Learning by default nature of animals is a natural behavior. We all Learn. Till the process is too uncomfortable.
If I wasn’t bored of math and could make more victories instead of majority of defeates then id try again
Indeed, indeed.
Ha, I went to Aggressively Average High too!
i want to be efficient like him
AoPS is cool! :)
🥇
Great effort. But, I watched through it all and still didn't see any examples or description of the techniques they are using. Started to feel like a marketing video.
It was totally a marketing video. And I wonder what they charge there. My guess is no poor parents are able to afford it by the looks of the new facilities, and probably like most for-profit private tutoring centers, they only widen the gap between rich and poor students in Math. Let me know when this country decides to actually invest in public education please.
This is awesome. He is a saint
I'd reserve that judgement until seeing what the prices are at this academy of his... All sorts of for-profit private tutoring centers have popped up all over the US. They pay their tutors a crappy rate compared to what they charge the rich parents. In the end these places only grow the divide between Math preparation in rich and poor students, because no poor parents are bringing their kids here. What really needs to happen is for public education to be reformed and better funded so that the teaching profession attracts more good people.
I always thought it was weird that math; this skill that historically people spent WEEKS on a single problem, trying to understand something and internalize a rule set to solve, is taught back to back within a couple of days
peculiar
👏
Why i get a feeling that Riemann hypothesis even if it were proven to be true then it rather stil useless in terms of finding gigantic primes because we must first find a formula to find all the non triviial zeros... lol
damn, this was AoPS?
Mathematics is an art form.
Imagine learning math for 14 years and never once being shown a fractal. It's actually really sad.
LETSS GOO
Meanwhile, I am comfortable because I am not learning anything 😂
If you have the money you can find teachers like this, if you have the money you can live in school districts where the schools are excellent in the teachers are good. If you have the money you can access resources such as this sort of educational framework that the gentleman was discussing. We are not a nation built on ideas values and human interactions. We are built on Capital in the system designed to concentrate that wealth in the fewest possible hands. We are definitely not as evil as the Soviet Union was, but it doesn't mean we're good.
The books are free you can find them on the internet all you need to do is learn how to speak English. The videos are free on CZcams for everyone to watch.
Agreed. Unfortunately, your video also doesn't provide a single gripping example on how cool mathematics supposedly is.
Damn man I didn't know you were such a chad
Richard is the man!
We can think of memory (both of numbers and of notes) as a pool. Maybe one day our textbooks will say that music is the opposite of math. We are all students. Our knowledge is a looking into a system. Consciousness is beauty as the delivery system. And, we might start understanding that music too is a victorious fight against the problematic.
Thank you for the video. :)
No one of my teachers never give me high five(
Fun fact: At the math training camp he had jokingly said "I hate math"
Ironically, this video itself takes forever to get to the part where it shows the beautiful parts of path.
"You can't build without foundations"😉
What you saying mate?? The video is interesting from beginning to end
The video isn't about the unveiling, it's about his mission
goated
"They haven't been taught that Math is discovery".
Sigh. This is something I wish I learned early on.
I wish math education from the get-go taught us this.
The language of reality and the universe.
AoPS books are so costly. Out of reach for people from many developing nations.
@@bryant27182 Economy editions for developing world are an option if one really wants to find and promote math talent worldwide and not just in the developed world.