Tricking Husband into Learning Calculus: A Math Conversation with Your Spouse

[futurebird]

I want to talk to my husband about math. How can I trick him into learning calculus?

 

[Kurdt]

You can talk about it enthusiastically and hope he catches the bug and does a course. If he gets annoyed at you talking about maths all the time then perhaps you could get a new one?

Failing that the old asking him up front about calculus and if he could ever love it might work and save all the hassle.

 

[Math Is Hard]

He might enjoy reading "A Tour of the Calculus" and be inspired to learn more.

 

[futurebird]

You can talk about it enthusiastically and hope he catches the bug and does a course. If he gets annoyed at you talking about maths all the time then perhaps you could get a new one?

No, I like the one I have. Just trying to upgrade a bit.

He might enjoy reading "A Tour of the Calculus" and be inspired to learn more.

That's not such a bad idea, I think I have that book...

But I'm really looking for a TRICK.

He's pretty smart and even likes using excel and access just for fun. He's an urban planner, so its not like he's number-phobic. Just math-phobic.

 

[Gokul43201]

Ask him for the remainder when 5¹² is divided by 13, and point to the calculator that you've discreetly placed in his vicinity. As he reaches for it, you mumble some barely audible, ruminating-like sounds and casually say, "Oh, never mind honey, it's just 1." He will naturally be zapped and beseech you to reveal the secret of your magical prowess. That's your opportunity to add "It's just calculus, darling!"

Of course, a couple months later, when he's just getting past differential forms and suddenly remembers where this all started, he's bound to call your bluff. At this point, you respond, "Did I say "calculus"? I'm so sorry sweetheart...I meant 'topology'".

 

[moe darklight]

maybe get him interested in physics or a subject that would make him want to learn calculus first?

I took only basic math in high-school and dropped my math classes during the last year. I didn't even take trig... I don't remember ever seeing functions either.

what convinced me to start learning more calculus and math is that I got really interested in physics, and pop-science books felt like they were missing something, like watching someone else play a really cool videogame but never getting a turn to play myself... just wanting to understand more of a subject he enjoys might give him the drive to want to be able to understand that subject down to its core.

few people would want to jump into math if they are not forced to (sorry guys; it's true. don't shoot the messenger ). on the other hand, most people find physics interesting. if you tickle his curiosity with a concept like "O, I'd explain more... but you'd have to understand what a limit is for that to make any sense," he might feel left out and actually want to look into it.

EDIT: haha or you could just try it gokul's way .

 

[berkeman]

Ask him for the remainder when 5¹² is divided by 13, and point to the calculator that you've discreetly placed in his vicinity. As he reaches for it, you mumble some barely audible, ruminating-like sounds and casually say, "Oh, never mind honey, it's just 1." He will naturally be zapped and beseech you to reveal the secret of your magical prowess. That's your opportunity to add "It's just calculus, darling!"

Of course, a couple months later, when he's just getting past differential forms and suddenly remembers where this all started, he's bound to call your bluff. At this point, you respond, "Did I say "calculus"? I'm so sorry sweetheart...I meant 'topology'".

There goes Gokul, showing off again

But I'm really looking for a TRICK.

He's pretty smart and even likes using excel and access just for fun. He's an urban planner, so its not like he's number-phobic. Just math-phobic.

Okay, here you go. One of the most useful and practical applications of basic differential calculus is optimization, right? Maxima, minima, etc. And the best Urban Planners would understand the math and reasoning behind optimization, because it is directly applicable to their daily work. The BEST Urban Planners in the nation understand and apply basic differential calculus every day in their work.

Does that sound like a useful trick?

 

[7ala.elward]

o00ops ..calculus with him ...seems dangerous things to do :)

(::


ok ...just u have to try !

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I want to talk to my husband about math. How can I trick him into learning calculus?

No math, no sex. No trick needed [so to speak].

 

[Chronos]

Try auctioning him off on ebay as a math wonk and show him the bids. . . .

 

[radou]

No math, no sex. No trick needed [so to speak].

Sth like that, yes. And before sex, he should do a few proofs first.

 

[neutrino]

No math, no sex. No trick needed [so to speak].

At least not until he understands what $$\int_{10}^{13}{2xdx}?$$ means, or $$\int{e^x} = e^x + C$$.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Are you learning urban planning?

 

[robphy]

http://faculty.nhmccd.edu/hfar/Numerical Calculus with Excel.pdf (too obvious?)
http://mathforum.org/mathtools/discuss.html?context=all&do=r&msg=_____ra-27 "Kissing is the secret of calculus"
http://www.illuminatingscience.org/bikini-calculus/ (maybe not a good idea)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1560257067/?tag=pfamazon01-20 (a book on the Newton vs Leibniz story)

Probably the best way to encourage the learning of something like calculus is to effectively pose a problem of interest that requires it. That's how I learned computer programming: for example, since I had to process a lot of text, I forced myself to learn some perl to get the job done. berkeman's suggestion of an optimization problem might be a good approach.

 

[futurebird]

Are you learning urban planning?

Well I helped write some scripts for his database once. Oh and I've read Jane Jacobs!

 

[EnumaElish]

If he's an urban planner, he must be familiar with at least some economics concepts; e.g. cost-benefit analysis. Even if he is not, that may be a good place to start because hopefully he can relate these concepts to his work. If he is already familiar with some of these, then nudge him toward microeconomics. "Honey, why is it that shops/stores/gas stations/etc. tend to be closely concentrated at a few locations through the city? I heard that's how they maximize their profits."

 

[morphism]

Ask him for the remainder when 5¹² is divided by 13, and point to the calculator that you've discreetly placed in his vicinity. As he reaches for it, you mumble some barely audible, ruminating-like sounds and casually say, "Oh, never mind honey, it's just 1." He will naturally be zapped and beseech you to reveal the secret of your magical prowess. That's your opportunity to add "It's just calculus, darling!"

Of course, a couple months later, when he's just getting past differential forms and suddenly remembers where this all started, he's bound to call your bluff. At this point, you respond, "Did I say "calculus"? I'm so sorry sweetheart...I meant 'topology'".

Hahahaha! Brilliant!

 

[leright]

Okay, here you go. One of the most useful and practical applications of basic differential calculus is optimization, right? Maxima, minima, etc. And the best Urban Planners would understand the math and reasoning behind optimization, because it is directly applicable to their daily work. The BEST Urban Planners in the nation understand and apply basic differential calculus every day in their work.

Does that sound like a useful trick?

Right, but in this day and age, computers (or graphing calculators) can easily plot functions, allowing the maxima and minima to be found easily without the use of calculus. However, there are of course many other practical applications of calculus not pertaining to optimization.

 

[Gib Z]

Ask him for the remainder when 5¹² is divided by 13, and point to the calculator that you've discreetly placed in his vicinity. As he reaches for it, you mumble some barely audible, ruminating-like sounds and casually say, "Oh, never mind honey, it's just 1." He will naturally be zapped and beseech you to reveal the secret of your magical prowess. That's your opportunity to add "It's just calculus, darling!"

Of course, a couple months later, when he's just getting past differential forms and suddenly remembers where this all started, he's bound to call your bluff. At this point, you respond, "Did I say "calculus"? I'm so sorry sweetheart...I meant 'topology'".

I could have sworn Euler's Theorem was number theory :( (I haven't learned topology, but I have learned Euler's theorem ..)

...
http://www.illuminatingscience.org/bikini-calculus/ (maybe not a good idea)
...

I suddenly have a new appreciation for the constant rule (even though they kind of got it wrong..)

 

[morphism]

I could have sworn Euler's Theorem was number theory :( (I haven't learned topology, but I have learned Euler's theorem ..)

I think that was Gokul's point.

 

[Gib Z]

I think that was Gokul's point.

I was originally going to delete my post thinking that too, but on Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler's_theorem, the proof of Euler's Theorem involves things I don't know, so it might be topology :( (In the proof it says stuff about Rings of integers, and when I follow that link it goes on about algebraic structures, which When i click on that, goes on about defining them as a Topology).

 

[Gokul43201]

Nah, there's always going to be some interconnectedness no matter what field I picked...overthinking spoils the joke.

 

[rewebster]

No math, no sex. No trick needed [so to speak].

along these same lines, reward him (but without telling him its a reward) everytime he learns a new function

 

[futurebird]

Thank you all for you kind advice! I'll let you know if any of the tricks work.