Order (ring theory)

Order (ring theory) is another math concept that makes no sense to almost every human being on this planet. That's weird to think about.

I mean, click that link and read the article. It says things like: "In less formal terms, additively should be a free abelian group generated by a basis for R over ."

It's weird that some people's brains understand that. On the other hand, even chickens have brains. It's true. You can eat them.


I don't really like onion rings.
Photo: sanctumsolitude via Flickr (CC)

Size functor

Size functor is some kind of math concept. The word 'functor' made me giggle.

This Wikipedia article is mind-bogglingly complicated. I think I have never read anything that made less sense to me in my life. It has more words I don't know than words I do.


It took decades, but finally his size functor was complete.
Photo: davidfullerdaniel via Flickr (CC)

Direction vector

Direction vector is a math term. It has something to do with two points on a line. I used to know how to do math, so maybe there was a time in my life when this Wikipedia article would have made sense to me. Now it's like another language.

Right now my direction vector is toward the kitchen to make oatmeal.


Metallic vector farm.
Photo: higgs2007 via Flickr (CC)

Esquisse d'un Programme

Esquisse d'un Programme was some mathematical proposal written by Alexander Grothendieck. According to Wikipedia, Alexander Grothendieck was one of the most famous mathematicians of the 20th century. I have never heard of him.

Famous 20th-century mathematicians aren't as famous as other famous 20th-century people, like movie stars and basketball players. Note that this reverses as you travel backward through time: I can name more 20th-century basketball players than 20th-century mathematicians, but I can't name a single Ancient Greek basketball player.


My favorite 20th-century mathematician.
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