The Magic Formula: How Many Hours of Math Daily?

Summary

The speaker emphasizes the importance of daily math practice for developing discipline and mental sharpness. They suggest starting with a single problem daily to avoid burnout and decision paralysis. The speaker shares personal experiences and tips for maintaining a consistent study routine, highlighting the benefits of morning study sessions. They also briefly discusses various books on math, physics, and computer science, encouraging viewers to find a routine that works for them.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker emphasizes the importance of discipline in studying mathematics daily, rather than focusing on the quantity of hours spent.
• 🔄 The speaker suggests starting with the goal of doing at least one math problem every day to build a habit, rather than setting high expectations that could lead to burnout.
• 🚫 The speaker warns against decision paralysis, which can hinder starting a routine of daily math practice.
• 🧠 Mental strength and discipline are highlighted as key to maintaining a consistent study routine.
• 🏃‍♂️ The speaker recommends starting math practice early in the day to keep the concepts fresh in the mind throughout the day.
• 🌱 The speaker believes that doing math daily, even if it's just one problem, can lead to gradual progress and prevent cramming.
• 📈 The speaker shares personal experiences from graduate school, where doing a set number of proofs daily was challenging but helped in building discipline.
• 📖 The speaker mentions various books that cover different areas of study, including trading, physics, vector analysis, and computer science.
• 💡 The speaker encourages viewers to share their own study routines and how they maintain a daily math practice.
• 🔗 The speaker provides links to resources for learning more about math and offers courses on math sourcer.

Q & A

What is the main question the speaker addresses in the transcript?

The main question addressed is how many hours a day one should dedicate to studying mathematics.

What was the speaker's personal goal when he was a graduate student?

The speaker's personal goal was to complete 20 proofs a day.

Why did the speaker sometimes do easy proofs to meet his daily goal?

The speaker did easy proofs to meet his daily goal to avoid burnout and to maintain consistency in his study routine.

What does the speaker suggest is the starting point for building a math study routine?

The speaker suggests starting with the discipline of doing math every day.

What is the speaker's advice for getting started with daily math practice?

The speaker advises telling oneself to do at least one math problem every single day.

Why does the speaker believe setting expectations too high can be detrimental?

Setting expectations too high can lead to decision paralysis and breaking the routine, which can hinder consistency.

What does the speaker consider the best time to do math problems?

The speaker believes the best time to do math problems is in the morning, right after waking up.

What is the speaker's opinion on the effectiveness of cramming for tests?

The speaker thinks cramming is not as effective as gradual progress and can be detrimental to learning.

What is the title of the trading book mentioned by the speaker?

The title of the trading book is 'High Probability Trading'.

What is the name of the free book on vector analysis recommended by the speaker?

The name of the free book on vector analysis is 'Vector Analysis' by HB Phillips.

What is the speaker's final recommendation for maintaining a math study routine?

The speaker's final recommendation is to commit to doing at least one math problem every day.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Consistent Daily Math Practice

The speaker discusses the importance of discipline in studying mathematics daily. They share their own experience as a student with a goal of completing 20 proofs a day, but found it challenging and resorted to easier problems to meet the goal. They emphasize that consistency is more important than the quantity of work done. The speaker suggests starting with the mindset of doing at least one math problem every day to build discipline, as opposed to setting high expectations that could lead to burnout. They also touch on the idea of decision paralysis and how it affects people from pursuing their goals, including in mathematics.

05:00

🌅 Morning Study for Effective Learning

The speaker advocates for morning study sessions as the best time for self-study, suggesting that starting the day with a math problem can lead to better retention and understanding throughout the day. They argue that this method is superior to cramming and can help build discipline. The speaker also shares a personal anecdote about a teacher who advised doing a little bit of math every day, which they now appreciate but did not follow at the time. They caution against setting expectations too high, recommending starting with the goal of doing at least one problem daily and then gradually increasing expectations without disrupting the routine.

10:00

📘 Book Recommendations for Math Enthusiasts

In the final paragraph, the speaker briefly mentions a few books they have on hand, including a trading book, a physics book for beginners, a free online book on vector analysis by HB Phillips, and a computer science book. They express their enthusiasm for these books and their belief in the value of diverse mathematical knowledge. The speaker also encourages viewers to share their own math study routines and to check out their courses on math sourcer for further learning.

Keywords

💡Mathematics

Mathematics refers to the abstract science of number, quantity, and space, either as abstract concepts, or embodied in figures and diagrams. In the video, the speaker discusses the importance of daily practice in mathematics to build discipline and mental strength. The speaker's personal goal of solving 20 proofs a day exemplifies the commitment to daily mathematical practice.

💡Discipline

Discipline is the practice of training oneself to follow rules or a set of rules; or the control over one's feelings or actions. The video emphasizes the necessity of discipline in doing mathematics daily, which is portrayed as a foundational habit for academic and personal growth.

💡Burnout

Burnout refers to a state of chronic physical and emotional exhaustion. The speaker warns against the risk of burnout from setting unrealistic daily goals, such as solving 20 mathematical proofs every day, which can lead to exhaustion and reduced effectiveness.

💡Self-study

Self-study is the process of learning without the direction or supervision of a teacher. The video discusses the challenges of self-study in mathematics, where the lack of external motivation like grades can make it difficult to maintain a routine.

💡Decision Paralysis

Decision paralysis is the state of being unable to make a decision, often due to having too many options. The speaker mentions decision paralysis as a common obstacle that prevents people from starting their daily math practice, suggesting setting a simple goal to overcome it.

💡Mental Strength

Mental strength refers to the ability to maintain focus, control emotions, and persist despite challenges. The video suggests that daily math practice contributes to building mental strength, which is essential for success in various aspects of life.

💡Problem-solving

Problem-solving is the ability to analyze a problem and determine the most effective course of action to solve it. The video encourages viewers to approach mathematics as a daily problem-solving exercise, which can lead to incremental progress and skill development.

💡Productivity

Productivity refers to the efficiency of productive work or the rate of output. The speaker shares personal experiences where starting with one math problem can lead to a productive day, illustrating how small beginnings can snowball into significant achievements.

💡Routine

A routine is a sequence of regular actions or activities. The video stresses the importance of establishing a routine of doing at least one math problem every day to ensure consistent progress and to avoid the pitfalls of decision paralysis.

💡External Motivation

External motivation comes from external rewards or pressures. In the context of the video, the speaker contrasts external motivation, such as grades in school, with the self-motivation required for self-study, highlighting the need for internal discipline.

💡Gradual Progress

Gradual progress refers to slow, steady improvement over time. The video advocates for a daily routine of math practice as a means of achieving gradual progress, as opposed to cramming, which is portrayed as less effective.

Highlights

The ideal amount of daily mathematics study varies and should start with discipline.

Aiming for a certain number of problems daily can be challenging, especially in grad school.

The speaker used to do easy proofs to meet a daily goal of 20 proofs.

It's important to do math every day to build discipline, rather than focusing on quantity.

The real question should be how to get oneself to do math every day.

Starting with small goals like one problem per day can prevent burnout.

Discipline is key to doing math daily, and it's better to start small than not at all.

Decision paralysis can prevent people from starting their math studies.

Doing at least one math problem daily can lead to more productive days.

The mental aspect of committing to one problem daily can lead to consistent progress.

The speaker suggests not overthinking and just starting with one problem.

On days when one doesn't want to work, doing one problem can sometimes lead to productivity.

It's important to reflect on daily progress and ensure enough math problems are done.

External motivation like grades can help enforce discipline in school.

For self-study, discipline is crucial and can be built by starting with small goals.

The speaker recommends doing math in the morning after waking up.

Consistent daily math practice is better than cramming.

A teacher's advice to do a little bit every day is emphasized.

Setting expectations too high can be a barrier to starting a daily routine.

Doing math every day makes a significant difference in learning.

The speaker shares a personal anecdote about setting daily goals and their difficulty.

The speaker reviews a book called 'High Probability Trading' and its real-life experiences.

A recommendation for a physics book for beginners, 'Gianoli Physics'.

A free book on Vector analysis by HB Phillips is mentioned.

A computer science book 'Everything You Need to Ace Computer Science and Coding' is recommended.

The speaker encourages viewers to develop a routine of doing at least one math problem daily.

Transcripts

how many hours a day should you do

mathematics this is a question that

people always ask and it's a question

that I've always asked when I was a

student even when I was a grad student

when I was a grad student I did so much

math and I tried to do like a certain

number of problems every day I remember

I had a goal of I think it was 20 proofs

a day it was very hard to keep up it's

it's very hard to do 20 mathematical

proofs every single day especially when

you're in grad school so what I would do

is I would go back and I would do easy

proofs proofs that perhaps I've already

done just to hit that magic number of

20 you can you can do stuff like that

you can and it's good but you're going

to burn out you're you're going to burn

out so I think the right answer to the

question you how much math should you do

every day has to start from a different

place it has to start from a place of

discipline and that discipline is built

upon doing math every day so I think

instead of asking you know how much math

should you do every day the real

question should be how can I get myself

to do math every

day it's like that old saying you can't

learn to run until you learn to walk

the same thing with mathematics right

you're not going to be able to sit down

and do five hours of mathematics every

day if if you're not even doing

math and I think that it comes down to

decision

paralysis that is the thing that affects

most people in all areas of life I have

a lot of friends who have great

ideas and they don't do them I have

ideas and I don't do them but I try and

I'm aware of it and at least I do math

every single day every single day I do

mathematics every day no matter what I

do at least one problem keeps my mind

sharp and it's worth it it's worth it so

how can you get yourself to do math

every

day well I think the best way and this

is the way I do it this is why I think

it's the best way is to tell yourself

you're going to do at least one problem

every single day

because when you tell yourself you're

going to do at least one problem every

single day chances are you're going to

do it if you tell yourself oh I'm only

going to do 30 minutes that already is

creating perhaps some negativity in your

mind because maybe you wake up today and

you don't want to do any math at all

right zero so looking forward to the

prospect of having to do 30 minutes is a

very negative thing so it's all it's all

mental it's all up here if you can

control your mind everything else is

going to be great you just have to be

able to have a strong mind and math is

is one way to do that I think

mathematics I also think physical

activity both of those things are

extremely important and they'll help

your

mind so tell yourself you're going to do

at least one problem a day I think

that's that's a good way to do it and do

it right just do it don't overthink it

don't fall into the decision paralysis

trap of oh what type of math should I do

you know what math book should I use I

mean these aren't M math books actually

one's a computer science book one's a

math book one's a physics book and one's

a finance book so they're all different

um yeah all great books we'll talk about

those books later in this video maybe

but yeah at least one problem a day

that's the best way if you can get

yourself to do that then that's the

starting point and what's going to

happen when you do that is on those days

when you don't want to work on those

days when you don't want to do anything

and you do that one problem sometimes

those days will end up being productive

sometimes you just have to start and

once you start it's like it's like a

it's like a ball of ice rolling down a

hill like in the cartoons you know it

just gets bigger and bigger and bigger

the snowball just grows the farther it

goes a lot of times that's how it

happens with mathematics sometimes

you'll do one problem you'll be like no

oh I'm done I can't think today my mind

is in a fog I need to go do something

else and then you go do something else

but at least you did one problem you

want to look back on the end of every

single day and say did I do enough did I

do enough today to progress my life did

did you do enough math problems did you

train whatever it is you're doing in

your life whatever you're trying to do

did you do enough to progress for many

of you if you're in school it's pretty

easy well easier because you have this

external motivation you know the Spectre

of grades you know it's hovering over

you it's like you have to you have to

succeed you have grades to pressure you

that doesn't make it fun but it forces

discipline upon you but for many of you

self-study is the way and in order to

self-study you have to have discipline

it makes you stronger and I always think

that the morning is the best time you

know if if you do a problem right when

you wake up after you have coffee or

whatever just do just do a problem do an

integral whatever just do some math it's

going to stay with you for for the rest

of the day you know you'll be able to

look back later in the day and say Hey

Oh yeah I remember that that integration

problem I was doing you know earlier in

the day that yeah oh that was a really

interesting substitution or oh yeah I

remember using partial fractions to

solve that or maybe you did a proof oh

that was a really cool proof you know we

took the maximum of a finite set to

create an upper bound on the sequence or

you know

whatever those things those ideas that

you have in the math they stay with you

and you think about them and it gives

you time it lets your mind progress it's

much better than cramming that's why

they say cramming doesn't work I mean it

does work to an extent I've crammed for

so many tests I mean we all

procrastinate right

but cramming is not as good as like that

gradual progress at had a teacher as an

undergrad and he always used to say oh

just do a little bit every day he always

used to say that and I remember when he

said that I thought oh that's a great

idea but I never took his advice

I I never just did a little bit every

day why because I tend to be like most

people right so you have to kind of

break from that you kind of have to

build that discipline you know try to do

a little bit every day it it makes such

a difference and again I I think what

holds people back is they set

expectations that are too high so don't

set any expectations just set the

expectation of I'm going to do at least

one math problem once you can do that a

couple times then you can start having

you know higher expectation but be

careful right be careful because you

don't want to set them too high and you

don't want to break your routine you

want to make sure that you do it every

single day do math every day it it makes

such a difference makes such a

difference so that's all I wanted to say

in this video so let me show you these

books really quick I'll just talk about

them here so this is a

book it's called high probability

trading and I reviewed this book long

ago and I think

there was a YouTube user named Marcel

link and he posted on the video and I

thought whoa is it really him but I

don't think it's him I think it was just

someone else with the same name this is

a book about trading okay so um trading

is dangerous you know I'm not a

financial adviser all that stuff but

it's a good book because I feel like it

has some real life experiences and it's

worth it I'll leave links to these in

the description of this video in case

you want to check him out great physics

book for beginners fantastic book

gianoli physics

totally worth

it this one is free it's called Vector

analysis by HB

Phillips great book you just Google it

it's free on the internet it's uh it's

on Vector analysis it's got mathematics

that you need for electricity and

hydrodynamics that's that's what the

focus is so it's got all the math you

need for electricity and hydrodynamics

that's why he wrote the book HB Phillips

was a math professor at MIT and he was

the chair of the MIT math department for

several years years so and he wrote a

bunch of books almost all of them I

think perhaps are in the public domain

now because they're so old um the actual

physical books are hard to find but I'll

try to find some copies I probably won't

be able to find that many but I'll leave

the links in the description in case you

want to check them out it's a rare book

they're very rare I collect all his

books and then this one here is a great

book on computer science widely

available popular book it's a fun book

to get you uh into computer science it's

called everything you need to Ace

computer science and coding and one big

fat notebook but yeah I I think that

that um that's the best way to do math

is tell yourself you're going to do at

least one

problem what do you think what do you

think the best way is to get in a

routine of doing math every day what do

you do what's your self-study routine

how do you do it do you have a certain

number of problems you do is it is it

timed I'm interested what you think the

best way is also if you're interested in

learning more math check out my courses

on math sourcer

use the links on my website or in the

description of any of my videos you get

the lowest possible price I'm pretty

sure I'm pretty sure I set the price as

low as I could and every time I click on

one of my links it's like really low

it's even lower sometimes so I'm like

okay it's working you is weird with

their prices they have sales and stuff

and I don't know really how it works but

I know if you use my links please use

those math sourcer

docomo have an Instagram the real math

sourcer in case you want to follow me

there hopefully this video has helped

you and try to that routine right that's

the most important thing you should take

away from this video try to do at least

one problem a day good luck