Math Insults

You would think after failing to pass the SOA/CAS Exam P/1 for the second time (that was an adventure*), I would be too consumed with studying (so that I finally pass and be able to find an internship for this summer), that I wouldn't even have time to think about writing a post on my blog. Especially when I have 17 credits**, work 16+ hours a week, and somehow manage to waste time on my computer every single day. *cough* And now I've just shamed myself***. Excuse me while I go study.

---several hours later---

Now onto the real reason for this post. Over the last few months, I've heard some awesome math "comebacks", thanks to the students I tutored.


"My relationships are like square roots. Most of them are irrational."


"You are the third derivative of position."




Gotta love math insults. Speaking of which, I decided to find more (via our good friend Google). And right off the bat--

"He probably thinks googol is a search engine."

"The intersection of her brain and reality, is the null set."

"You're as exciting as the derivatives of e^x."

These are non-math related, but some interesting tidbits I picked up from my classes thus far this semester.

• SCHOOL: Six Crappy Hours Of Our Lives
• Pedantic: using big words for the sake of big words
• Polysyllabic: word of many syllables (oh how I love irony...and self-explanatory words)

And my favorite, while learning about the law of marginal utility§ in my economics class, my professor shared how it also applies to dating.

The "Law" of Marginal Utility of Dating

• The first (maybe even second) date is great
• Each date after that gives you less additional satisfaction
• You realize the same thing is occurring to the person you're dating
• That's why you marry in order to prevent him or her from finding someone else who will give them higher additional satisfaction, and before you reach zero additional satisfaction

Well, this was a really random post. But that's okay, because randomness is what makes a good (unbiased§§) sample in statistics.

May your derivatives eventually reach zero, and your integrals be constant.

*Blizzard, test rescheduled, had to take a shuttle to take my test a week later in a city four hours away >_< Not to mention I did worse than the first time I took the test
**Technically 14 credits and a 3 credit class I'm auditing, but still taking up time
***Happens quite frequently actually. Only when I tell others the things that I should be doing will guilt me into finally doing what needs to be done.
§This basically says for each additional unit of consumption (say a Snickers bar), the less additional satisfaction you get (your fifth Snickers bar isn't as good as the first).
§§[sic]

For the Love of Math

"I'm acute, you're acute, maybe together we can make it right."

I love having a fellow math major as a roommate. We understand each others' math jokes, like the above pick up line we made up on the spot. We speak math to each other, help each other understand math concepts (like when I was trying to explain what rings are in abstract algebra...and another of my roommates kept insisting it was a piece of jewelry). This same math-loving roommate understands my affinity for math...something my other roommates (including previous ones) don't seem to understand.

But aside from that...third week of the latest semester is completed. Second semester of Abstract Algebra (what in the WORLD am I thinking?!), numerical analysis (I'm going to learn how my calculator works...and become smarter than it), and probability & statistics (calc and stats combined...I think my brain imploded just typing that). And yet I still love math. ^__^

Oh, and the next time someone Z-snaps at you, Z-snap back saying, "I do the integers. What now?" (You know...Z, the symbol for the integers...the symbol at the right...right over there. You DO see it, right? Sheesh...)