Things you can't do...

[Saimou]

11 hours ago, Saimou said:

OK; you’re welcome, and sorry for the headache . Let me try to explain the main gist, in mathematical slow-motion:

1. The first reason to represent numbers with letters, is to represent a general form of an equation or formula:

ax + b = 0

ax² + bx + c = 0

ax³ + bx² + cx + d = 0

etc., where the a, b and c are constants, and x is the variable. Juxtaposing these constants with x means multiplying x by them, by the way.

2. The second reason for writing letters for numbers is to represent the precise value of the number, when the number is irrational (i.e. Can’t be expressed as a ratio of integers; like the golden ratio), or even transcendental, which means that it’s not an integer, a ratio of integers, or even a root (square root, cube root, etc.) of an integer (or a rational number); because such numbers (irrational & transcendental numbers) have infinite, non-periodic decimal expansions (the decimals don’t repeat); for example:

π = 3,1415926…

e = 2,7182818…

φ = 1,6180339…

Now, all these numbers I’ve shown here, have expressions that give their true values, but they are quite messy, compared to the single letter expressions people are familiar with.

3. If you know programming, you will have come across the hexadecimal (base-16) system, which uses 6 letters (A–F), to represent numbers 10–15, because we (using decimal/base-10 number system) only have 10 digits (0–9).

It’s alright, if you don’t understand everything, on the first reading. Just take it slowly, identify the things you CAN understand, and try to grasp the general gist of things. 

Oh; and I totally forgot 1 common case: The ”imaginary” unit is written with the letter: ”i”, because it’s kind of tough to write sqrt(-1) as a number. The same kind of goes for ALL complex numbers of the form: a+bi, where a & b are ordinary real numbers. For example: 4+3i, 2+5i, 10+πi, etc.

[Saimou]

On 6/19/2023 at 7:32 PM, Bird said:

Me either! sucks sometimes doesn't it? 😄

Another thing I'm incapable of is, and I hope this makes any sense; knowing the corresponding number to months... like the position of the month in numbers from 1 to 12. But now that I think about it, I guess in English-speaking countries you don't really write dates as "10.08.2023" do you...?? You'd rather speak of the 10th of July 2023 wouldn't you? Anyway, I really need to count through all the months in order to "translate" that date. I just cannot connect the number (8) to the month (august)... 😅

I occasionally have a similar problem, when I’m too tired to think. Though, this mostly happens with April and May. With August, I’m definitely good, since it’s my birth-month; and my 21st birthday, which occurred on 5.8.2013 (5th of August; I don’t do ”middle-ended” dates: mm/dd/yyyy; since they make no sense, and only confuse the shit out of me), definitely makes it even easier.”). Anyway; this means that, on 5.8.13, I turned 21. 5–8–13–21 are 4 consecutive Fibonacci numbers. This made the Maths-nerd in me super happy . Now; for those of you, who don’t know, the Fibonacci sequence starts with 0 & 1, and each subsequent number is a sum of the previous 2 numbers; so: 0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34…; and the ratio between 2 consecutive numbers converges to the golden ratio, φ = 1 + 1/φ = (sqrt(5) + 1) / 2.

 

Edited July 6, 2023 by SleepingPhlox
Corrections (and deletion of posts requesting the corrections) requested by poster.

[AntheaHolmes]

I can't whistle. 

[sneezysunshine]

I am utterly crap at finding my way around, like my sense of orientation is so awful. Left or right?? No idea. I'm very lucky I live in a world where we have google maps and GPS because I would be currently off in some odd corner of the forest if it weren't for that hahaha.

[ConstantlySneezing]

- Drive.

- Swim.

- Ride a bike.

- Speak Japanese/Chinese/Korean.

- Go more than an hour without sneezing.

 

 

[Juniebee]

On 1/17/2024 at 7:57 AM, ConstantlySneezing said:

- Drive.

- Swim.

- Ride a bike.

- Speak Japanese/Chinese/Korean.

- Go more than an hour without sneezing.

 

 

Are the first three because of your allergies? ( genuine question, I have always wondered if there are regular things you can't do because of it)

[kathleenh4656]

On 8/20/2011 at 8:32 AM, Just Older said:

I can't for the life of me get my head around reading sheet music. The 3 months in Grade 9 when they made us take band (music) and I had to play the flute were the worst 3 months of my school career ever!

@Just Older I don't know how to read sheet music either but I used to be able to play a couple of holidays songs on our piano by ear. I don't remember except c one was jingle bells.

[kathleenh4656]

On 8/20/2011 at 8:09 AM, Chanel_no5 said:

This is just a for-fun topic, it's not meant to be a whiny thing. But I'm curious, since I read the Hidden Talents-thread so many times. Are there things that most people can do, that you simply cannot learn?

As for me, I can't whistle. I have tried to learn that SO MANY times, but I fail forever at that.

I can regular whistle but not like the sports fans do with two fingers.

[1a2b3d4c5]

I cannot seem to figure out how to draw a realistic-looking person. I’ve been relying solely on stick figures since kindergarten 😂

[JustReading]

1. Cannot ride a bike

2. Understand when French is spoken to me

[TartanSneezer]

I can’t swim. I really regret that my parents didn’t send me for lessons when I was a kid because I’ve developed a lot of nervousness around water now 

[AntheaHolmes]

On 1/27/2024 at 9:35 AM, TartanSneezer said:

I can’t swim. I really regret that my parents didn’t send me for lessons when I was a kid because I’ve developed a lot of nervousness around water now 

Me too. Well, my parents send me to the lessons and all, but somehow I didn't developed any skills other than looking like a drowning ladybird.