The hottest Math Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics
Technology Made Simple 179 implied HN points 11 Mar 24
  1. Goodhart's Law warns that when a measure becomes a target, it can lose its effectiveness as a measure.
  2. The law often unfolds due to complications in real-world systems, human adaptability, and evolutionary pressures.
  3. To address Goodhart's Law, consider using multiple metrics, tying metrics to ultimate goals, and being prepared to adapt metrics as needed.
Kids Who Love Math 167 implied HN points 30 Jan 24
  1. Sebastian Gutierrez is starting Mailbox Mondays where he will answer reader questions in a post every Monday.
  2. Readers can send in questions via email, and Sebastian will share the answers anonymously in the post.
  3. Responses to the original question will also be sent via email to the reader.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:
SCIENCE GODDESS 98 implied HN points 09 Feb 24
  1. Crochet Coral Reef project combines art, craft, and STEM to engage people in science communication
  2. Bias against material play and embodied cognition can hinder funding for alternative STEM engagement methods
  3. Using hands-on activities like crocheting can help make math and science more accessible and engaging for a wider audience
Technology Made Simple 119 implied HN points 11 Dec 23
  1. Idempotency ensures the same output regardless of how many times an operation is executed, providing data consistency and preventing duplicate operations.
  2. Idempotency is crucial for resilience, scalability, performance, simplicity, and provability in software systems.
  3. Implementing idempotency involves using unique identifiers, versioning, transaction management, and leveraging HTTP methods, offering benefits like better error handling and faster response times.
Technology Made Simple 139 implied HN points 22 Nov 23
  1. God's Algorithm aims for the fewest moves possible in combinatorial games like Rubik's Cube.
  2. Researchers found God's Number for Rubik's Cube using techniques like partitioning, symmetry, and dropping optimality.
  3. Key strategies used were dividing the problem into smaller parts, leveraging symmetry to reduce work, and focusing on finding solutions within 20 moves instead of the best possible solution.
Technology Made Simple 179 implied HN points 11 Sep 23
  1. The Law of Large Numbers states that as the number of trials increase, the average of results will get closer to the expected value.
  2. This law is crucial in scientific fields, allowing predictions on chaotic events, leading to industries like gambling and insurance.
  3. Misunderstanding the Law of Large Numbers can lead to the Gambler's Fallacy, as it deals with the convergence of infinitely many experiments, not individual ones.
Axis of Ordinary 19 implied HN points 11 Feb 24
  1. Researchers achieve quick drone flight with fast simulations on a laptop and share the code publicly.
  2. New study surpasses previous methods in long-context video understanding, even with fewer parameters.
  3. Introduction of PHATGOOSE model for recycling PEFT modules to enhance zero-shot generalization.
Technology Made Simple 199 implied HN points 06 Jun 23
  1. Vector databases store data as high-dimensional vectors to enable advanced AI like Gen AI.
  2. Vectors are crucial for AI applications like language processing, computer vision, and recommendation systems.
  3. Vector databases offer flexibility in handling complex datasets, allowing AI models to interact more effectively.
Mathworlds 216 implied HN points 13 Apr 23
  1. For effective teaching, teachers and students need a shared set of experiences to talk about before introducing new vocabulary.
  2. Use 'contrasting cases' like 'Which one doesn't belong?' to surface older knowledge and make connections to new vocabulary.
  3. Provide opportunities for students to experience the need for new vocabulary in activities like Polygraph to enhance understanding.
Technology Made Simple 159 implied HN points 23 May 23
  1. The Normal Distribution is a probability distribution used to model real-world data, with a bell-shaped curve and key points located at the center.
  2. The Normal Distribution is essential as it is commonly used in various fields to model real-world phenomena, calculate probabilities, and make informed decisions in software development.
  3. Understanding and using the Normal Distribution in software can help in making approximations for performance, making the right sacrifices, and optimizing solutions based on real-world data.
Technology Made Simple 199 implied HN points 04 Jan 23
  1. The newsletter offers curated reading lists of older articles to help readers get started in understanding important concepts in Math and Computer Science, as well as tips for becoming a next-level tech professional.
  2. Technique Tuesdays focus on tricks and techniques to solve challenging problems, such as improving code comments and creating good documentation.
  3. Finance Fridays delve into the tech industry's financial aspects, covering topics like tech business models, personal finance tips, and how news from the tech industry affects your finances.
Kids Who Love Math 3 HN points 13 Mar 24
  1. Elementary schoolers are taking high school level Algebra I, which is surprising because it's not common and not widely discussed.
  2. The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon explains how we notice things more once we become aware of them, like kids excelling in advanced math.
  3. The Roger Bannister Effect shows how breaking through perceived limits can inspire others to achieve new possibilities, such as young children excelling in higher-level math.
joinmodulo 117 implied HN points 25 Mar 23
  1. Choosing a math program is a personal decision based on the child's learning preferences and parent's teaching style.
  2. Different children prefer different learning methods like digital apps or hands-on materials.
  3. There are diverse math curricula available to cater to every learner's needs, including game-based apps and nature-based materials.
Technology Made Simple 59 implied HN points 22 Aug 23
  1. Randomness in software engineering introduces unpredictability and can be used for various reasons like generating different outputs and introducing randomness into systems.
  2. Careful consideration is needed when using randomness in software engineering to avoid security risks and unnecessary complexity.
  3. To test the randomness of a system, consider using Diehard tests, which are intuitive and effective in evaluating randomness.
Technology Made Simple 99 implied HN points 11 Apr 23
  1. The Pigeonhole Principle states that if you have more items than containers, at least one container must hold more than one item.
  2. In software engineering, the principle ensures the correctness and efficiency of algorithms, especially in large-scale system design.
  3. The Pigeonhole Principle can also be used to prove non-existence, such as showing the impossibility of a universal lossless compression algorithm.
Technology Made Simple 79 implied HN points 17 Jan 23
  1. Solving f'(x)= f^(-1)(x) is a powerful technique in problem solving used in Math and Software.
  2. Math and coding share similar neural pathways, making a Math background beneficial for coding.
  3. When solving problems, start with a warm-up, rely on pattern matching, attack problems from multiple angles, and remember that complex solutions can have simple building blocks.
Technology Made Simple 59 implied HN points 14 Mar 23
  1. Analyzing the distribution of your data is crucial for accurate analysis results, helps in choosing the right statistical tests, identifying outliers, and confirming data collection systems.
  2. Common techniques to analyze data distribution include histograms, boxplots, quantile-quantile plots, descriptive statistics, and statistical tests like Shapiro-Wilk or Kolmogorov-Smirnov.
  3. Common mistakes in analyzing data distribution include ignoring or dropping outliers, using the wrong statistical test, and not visualizing data to identify patterns and trends.
Technology Made Simple 59 implied HN points 11 Mar 23
  1. The post discusses a math problem involving finding the distance between two sets in an n-dimensional space of real numbers.
  2. It explains key terms such as |x| for distance from the origin and inf(D) for the lowest distance given two sets.
  3. The post offers a 7-day free trial for more content on technology problem-solving and solutions.
Kids Who Love Math 2 HN points 20 Feb 24
  1. Establishing a routine can help in getting prepared for learning, like dedicating a specific 'Math Time' with all necessary materials ready.
  2. Focusing on the process of getting ready for math is more important than merely sticking to a rigid routine.
  3. Incorporating physical elements or sensory cues can enhance the readiness for learning math, such as having a designated space, an exercise, a specific music, or a scent.
SaaS Engineering 39 implied HN points 02 Mar 23
  1. Averages like mean, median, and mode help us summarize and understand groups of data.
  2. Using the correct type of average is important to accurately represent the data, like using median for ranking or mode for most common occurrences.
  3. In scenarios like evaluating investment portfolios, understanding the median progress and how it relates to the future mean outcome is crucial for decision-making.
Technology Made Simple 59 implied HN points 23 Dec 22
  1. The post discusses a solution to Problem 70, which involves calculating a number raised to a power using math, logic, optimization, and recursion.
  2. The problem statement requires implementing a function that calculates x raised to the power n, with specific input-output examples provided.
  3. Constraints for the problem include specific ranges for x and n, highlighting the importance of handling edge cases in the solution.
Technology Made Simple 79 implied HN points 16 Sep 22
  1. The post discusses a solution for the climbing stairs problem with dynamic programming, logic, recursion, and math.
  2. The problem involves finding the number of distinct ways to climb to the top of a staircase by either taking 1 or 2 steps at a time.
  3. The post provides examples and constraints for the problem, along with a link to test the solution on Leetcode.
Technology Made Simple 79 implied HN points 07 Sep 22
  1. Understanding the context is crucial when learning a new codebase, not just the technical details
  2. Start by understanding the purpose and problem the codebase solves before diving into technical details of components
  3. When stuck on a component, focus on understanding input/output and move forward for efficient learning
Technology Made Simple 99 implied HN points 14 Jun 22
  1. Math is a language that helps express complex ideas in quantifiable ways, and understanding it is crucial for technical careers like AI and Engineering.
  2. Many people struggle with Math because they try to learn topics without understanding the context around them, similar to trying to learn a language without knowing any words or sentence structures.
  3. Learning Math effectively involves treating it like learning a language, starting with simple 'sentences' for specific situations, practicing, and gradually branching out to more complex ideas.
Technology Made Simple 39 implied HN points 28 Feb 23
  1. Proof by contradiction is a powerful proof technique where you assume the opposite to be true and derive a contradiction, leading to the original statement being true.
  2. Skills needed for Proof by Contradiction, like defining the problem statement clearly and building logical inferences, align well with problem-solving in Leetcode and software engineering.
  3. To learn Proof by Contradiction effectively, focus on topics like Sets, Probability, Theoretical Computer Science, and Graph Theory for practical application.
Technology Made Simple 59 implied HN points 10 Oct 22
  1. Focus on using a mix of channels to become an expert in Graph Theory for Software Engineering. Channels vary in their emphasis on math, coding, and computer science.
  2. Utilize the recommended channels like Wrath of Math, David Amos, Trev Tutor, and FreeCodeCamp to sharpen your understanding of Graph Theory.
  3. Engage with the content from different channels to build strong theoretical foundations and improve your performance in coding interviews.
Technology Made Simple 59 implied HN points 27 Sep 22
  1. The Infinite Hotel Paradox, created by mathematician David Hilbert, shows the mind-bending concept of infinity in a fun brain teaser.
  2. Solving paradoxes like this can improve problem-solving skills, similar to working on coding problems.
  3. The paradox involves scenarios like trying to accommodate an infinite number of guests in an infinitely occupied hotel, posing challenging questions.