semireg

Ha! I was so nervous writing it because I am not qualified to use the smart math words!

Oh, I did... but it was more of a parsing error.

Prompt:

I have padlocks that I use to lock up my tools, or my bike, etc. The problem is, I often go several months without using some of them and forget the combinations. So, I decided to write down their combinations, but then I always lose the sheet. Being the math geek that I am, I decided on the following solution. I choose a 3 × 3 matrix and multiply this matrix by the combination and write the result on the back of the lock. For example, on the back of one lock is written “2688 − 3055 − 2750 : Birthdays,” indicating that the 3 × 3 matrix that I chose for that particular lock is the matrix whose rows consist of the birthdays of my brothers and me (from youngest to oldest). My brother Rod was born on 7/3/69, I was born on 7/28/66, and my older brother was born on 7/29/57. What is the combination of the lock?

Now, technically the LLM didn't quite know how to parse "2688 − 3055 − 2750" and ran the calculation with "[2688;-3055;2750]" and produced a response of, "These values are clearly not typical lock combinations, which suggests a potential issue with the encoding process."

Smart, kind-of. I reran with a more explicit prompt and it calculated the correct combination.

Overall though, I'm impressed with using ChatGPT as a linear algebra tutor. I wouldn't hesitate to use it in the future.

I've used an LLM for tutoring, but it doesn't replace the experience of biking across campus, ordering a coffee, unpacking my TI-89/iPad, cracking jokes with the professor and other students, paying attention, taking notes, and having to remember the material until exam day. This process is culture, and it's honing my mental blade. Then, as a solo-entrepreneur, I go home and use Cline+Sonnet to hack on a few side projects. These two processes compliment each other, greatly. Like I've mentioned in other replies, this is for "#2 fun" and to see if the "old guy (me) has still got it."

A masters in CS doesn’t interest me as much as pure math. Maybe when I’m 50…

We will see. A degree is just the ends to justify taking math classes. My goal is to learn, if they give me a degree that’ll be a bonus!

Yes! I’ll send you an email.

The information density is incredible. A 2x2 matrix (Jordan constants) containing enough information to produce a slice of a hyperbolic paraboloid. Leaves me mesmerized...

It's funny, at the end of each lecture I just want to yell... "NO! Don't stop! I must see how this ends!"

Very similar to when I stop our children's movie and tell them to go take a bath.

I didn't ace it, but knew immediately what I had done wrong as I rode my bicycle home. I kept checking my linear transformation matrix and the Eigen values didn't compute... Looked again at the TI-89 when I got home and realized I swapped the orientation on the Jordan constants. I wrote all the equations out, so maybe my professor will have mercy on me. Oh well, another case of elevator wit - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27esprit_de_l%27escalier

This college requires something like taking 30 credits from the institution to award a degree. That's somewhere between 7-10 classes (mix of 3/4 credits each).

Yes, through admissions. Getting a degree in math, maybe... depends on how much stress this adds to my life. If I were retired I'd just take a full load, but raising a family and running my business I can only take it one class at a time.

I’m self employed and this is “for fun.” My wife is a professor in another department and I’ve got a tuition waiver.

It’s been twenty years so my opinion is skewed and my memory is quite faded, however, I’ve got opinions on the guide and class in general.

The main thing is there are no surprises or tricks. The exams are straightforward and EXHAUSTIVE. I do all the assigned homework twice. Once when we cover the material and again before the exam. Let’s hope that strategy pays off again.

Yay, do it! I'm in linear algebra right now (midterm in 40 minutes) and I'm over 40. I went back because I always regretted not taking more higher level math. It's been a lot of work, but very rewarding. My kids (age 7 and 5) think it's pretty cool to see dad working on his TI-89 and Notability on iPad.

This is sweet news. I'm over 40. I enrolled at my local university in January and I'm studying (literally right now) for my linear algebra midterm [0] which is in 45 minutes! I'm on HN to calm my nerves.

I graduated high school in the early 2000s and graduated college with major in computer science and a minor in math. My goal is 5-8 more classes for a second degree in math (major).

Wish me luck!

[0] Study guide: https://course1.winona.edu/bperatt/M311S25/Tests/Test%202/te... Course: https://course1.winona.edu/bperatt/M311S25/Administrative/M3...

While intuitive, I’m not so sure. I look at the center line and slowly cross my eyes until the 3rd image slides into place and then I get focus lock. At no time do I feel my eyes uncross and go the other way. Hmm!

I spent my 30s in a VLCOL (very low cost of living) city. I’m now in my 40s and each year my sentimental feelings somehow keep growing. The small things in life: a local art museum, the local YMCA and its pickleball playing seniors, sauna, inline skating around lake paths, road cycling, local coffee roasters, a small upstart Italian restaurant, and of course my young kids. I’m absolutely in love with these things in a way that isn’t directly coming from them or a product or service… it’s coming from within me. Deep satisfaction. Not necessarily happiness. Somehow, these things define me in ways my business never can/could. I’m a participant in my community and it feels SO GOOD. I could optimize for something else … something “out there” but then what?

https://bemorewithless.com/the-story-of-the-mexican-fisherma...

It might be nice to have a social safety net when you age and your children leave you.

Sorry, my point is I’m not in the market for new/shiny and I’m wondering what I’m missing. Nothing against new tech, that’s why I’m here. But if we can satisfy our personal espresso needs with something non-electronic, I think that’s worth discussing.

While I’m curious of this design, can someone tell me why my cafelat robot is inferior? It’s performed for years with zero maintenance and minimal cleaning. It pulls excellent shots. It takes up minimal counter space. The only downside I can think of is it’s not ergonomic - disabled or less strong individuals may not be comfortable with its physical operation. But short of that … it’s perfect. It is my peak coffee optimization (not one narrow measure of perfection). What am I missing?

A: native bindings written in zig

Except when it’s accidentally turned on in your pocket. Ouch!

After 3 years my Apple Watch needed a battery replacement. I went a week without it. There were times I missed an important call or text because I don’t have any habit of checking my phone and I refuse to use audible alerts.

Overall, the Apple watch is less distracting because you can quickly glance and ignore most notifications, or filter notifications based on who it is, time, etc.

But if I had to think harder … another reason I love the Apple Watch is getting stripe sales notifications. Someone halfway around the world buys a thing of yours and you get a tap on the wrist as a reward. I’m not sure I’ll ever turn that off.

While owning a printer is still a curse (1), and software continues a cloudward spiral (2) I’ve made solid progress on a local-first indie barefoot app for designing and printing labels. I just shipped a new feature where you can use modern JS to build logic for each label, modifying variables, hiding and showing objects, formatting dates, etc. More at https://label.live/guides/add-logic-with-script-variables

[1] https://aftermath.site/printers-suck-so-bad

[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41300888

As the writer says, you’re not alone if you have customers cheering/jeering you on. If you’re lucky you’ll even have customers throwing money at you while lamenting their fears of having to settle for an incumbent.

The right answer was, and still is: Jan 1, 1901

It’s still used every day in low-DPI label printing where dithering and pixel alignment are very important.

For about 6 months out of the year!

20 years ago I read a few Wendell Berry essays on agriculture and it changed my life. I immediately believed two things: 1) if it wasn’t for computers I’d be an agrarian and 2) I finally had a better idea of conservatism in the sense that nature selects for conservative agrarians.

These ideas challenged my ideas of “turning it off and on again” and overall system design. I needed to prove to myself that I was more than a brain, and I was more than the “kid that was good with computers.” What was my body for?

I quit my virtualization/sysadmin job and moved to a farm in central Wisconsin, helping a small family with 4 acres of veggies for market, milked 20 goats and 2 cows, turkey, sheep … the whole works.

Farming didn’t work out long term for me but it taught excellent lessons and gave me a better foundation for understanding my satisfaction of being human, e.g. is the grass greener on the other side of the fence?

Ha, yes!

The previous two paragraphs:

All sorts of people come to our class: the bright and the not so bright, the motivated and the lazy, the experienced and the novice. Inevitably, the people who get the most from the class share one characteristic: They remain focused on the topic at hand.

The first trick to maintaining focus is to get enough sleep: ten hours of sleep each night while you are studying new ideas. Before dismissing this idea, try it. You will wake up refreshed and ready to learn. Caffeine is not a substitute for sleep.

To be honest, I also “failed to become a real dev” from these books. It wasn’t until I watched Stanford’s iOS courses (Paul Hagarty) at 2x that I finally understood enough to build my first app. Such is the journey!