Math and numbers or art and creativity?

Post Reply New Topic

Both, goddammit. This poll is useless. The two are in no way mutually exclusive.

Point-set. I am currently writing a master's thesis on inverse limits in a certain category, where the category has object class "topological spaces" and morphism class "upper hemicontinuous set-valued maps".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverse_limit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemicontinuity

The categorical definition of "inverse limit" looks a bit scary, but it is actually quite intuitive once you translate everything into topologese. It feels like you're following points on their infinite journey backwards through a maze of mappings.



I like logic too. I like the idea that there is actually a formal account of what mathematicians are supposed to be doing, although it sometimes doesn't feel like that's what mathematicians are really doing. Sometimes I like to think about how topology would be affected if the foundations of mathematics were different. There's a completely central result in point-set topology which is actually equivalent (in ZF) to the Axiom of Choice!

I'm sorry... ._.

Both. I'm really good at math, but I'm also fairly creative. I have a lot of trouble translating most of my creativity into the real world, though, so I mostly stick with math and hard science stuff.

Art and creativity for me. My math skills are down the toilet.

Man, finally someone like me.

We art people are a rare breed, lol. Kidding.

I don't see the intuitive nature, but I can see how its useful and can somewhat see how it would be. That sounds interesting .




The relationship between logic and topology is quite interesting to me. I really enjoy the fact that first order logic is compact. As an undergrad I learned the definition of compactness in three different class-like things in three different fields (analysis, logic, and topology - though only one was in an undergrad class), and they all were the same definition just in the language of that field. I really enjoy those types of relationships between fields of mathematics.

Last edited by Tuttle on 20 Mar 2012, 11:26 am, edited 1 time in total.

I'm probably more of a "systemizer" (i.e. math and science) but I don't think that totally excludes appreciation for unstructured/emotional type of creativity. I have a lot of trouble writing stories and such though.

I don't mean to offend you, I'm just sick of the assumption that math and creativity are opposites when they are not. I happen to be exceptionally gifted in both regards. However, my approach to math is probably fairly creative, following algorithms that someone else created bores me.

another "both" here.

I get offended... very, very easily... and I say sorry a lot, too...

In fact, I'm sorry about that as well! Guh... This is always my problem in social situations.

Both
and have studied both at university
(Poll should have included "both" and "neither" - live and learn )

I'm more gifted in math and sciences, though I ended up being an economist... I like music, but I'm not good at it. All-in-all, little art for me.

I can't answer, as I'm both. In fact, for me, the two are entwined quite well and are not independent. Maybe it's because I'm quite a strong visual thinker and use this for arithmetic and maths as well as my art. I'm an amateur artist and my arithmetic/mathematical skills have allowed me to keep proportions/perspective correct, without having to think about it. Even colour has a scientific slant for me, as well as being emotion inducing.

I'd probably say neither. Math never interested me, nor art.

Although after graduating high school I took up studying art because I had no idea what else to do, and I was afraid of going through life without a hobby. It was just a spur of the moment when I sat down one day doodling heads =x

So I kind of "forced" myself to learn and study art for years. It's mentally and emotionally exhausting =o