random thoughts on studying math and linguistics
today i decided to touch geometry in months. algebra has always been the thing i preferred over geometry, especially if that geometry is euclidean geometry or is from middle school. i think in korea middle school geometry is a part of euclidean geometry. and whenever somebody brings up a... (idk the word lol, what is it in korean tho? maybe 법칙? so like law?) law that shares middle school geometry vibes except not anywhere to be found in middle school, i understand that it's euclidean geometry. i was just understanding algebra, trying to learn geometry feels like after months of organizing very basic math concepts i am back to square one.
after quitting hagwon and getting algebra together, i feel like the main purpose of me learning math is understanding why things are and how things are related. and the fun that comes from that understanding. this is true for linguistics, which i have currently studied, uhh once. i have an unpublished post about recording my understanding of constituency tests, i have not finished it cuz i did not understand it wholly. here are the reasons i am confused about constituency tests:
- constituency tests only work for certain constituents in certain languages, and i do not understand which test works for which. at first i assumed constituency tests would work for all constituents in all langs.
- sometimes constituents do not pass constituency tests
- ok idk how to phrase it, this thought isn't properly in my brain. but there was this one replacement test in my textbook, if you can replace a string of words with a pronoun it is a noun phrase. but you can do that with complementizer phrases sometimes? like 'the cat announced that she sold my house to an axolotl' can be 'the cat announced it'. (why am i obsessed with a cat selling my house to an axolotl) and i was like 'huh why is this not a noun phrase' and then i realized noun phrases should have a head that is a noun.
back to me trying to study geometry, i do not know geometry terms in english so imma write this in korean, 첨에 도형의 정의를 찾아보려 나무위키를 봤는데 엄마한테 수학 공부 하라는 잔소리를 듣고 (그것도 구체적으로 너 수학 공부 얼마나 해? 일케 물어봐서 현타옴) 겁나 울다가 결국 기하 개념을 도형, 관계 (도형의 위치관계, 합동, 대칭 등등), 도형과 관계를 엮는 정리 일케 나눠서 정리하기로 했다. 그래서 도형부터 정의하고 있었는데, 숏컷이 필요하단 생각이 들어서 '중등 기하 정리' 뭐 이런식으로 검색했는데 맘에 안드는 영상을 한참 보다가 매스프레소님 영상을 발견했다. 인트로에 i'm stein (아임슈타인)이란 사람이 나온다. 쨌든 그걸 필기하기 시작했는데 차라리 내가 직접 정리하는게 나았을거다. 그 이후 매스프레소님 영상을 쫙 보는데 다 집중할 맛이 안났고 좀 self-help류의 영상 위주로 끌렸는데 다 내 이미 알고 실천 안하는 거였다. (실천할 시간에 보는 self-help류 영상 ㅋㅋㅋ) 그래서 오늘 한건 개념을 어케 정리하는가를 적어놓았고 기본 도형의 정의 쓰기를 시작한 것.
i'm trying to disprove my korean teacher on something she said that sounds the most wrong thing ever, so i'm going to make my own theory about passive voice in korean without any spoilers by people who have already researched this stuff. then i will experiment on my acquaintances to prove that the rules are legit. it's gonna be a mini research project and it's gonna be great.
for some reason the english webzine club failed and the linguistics olympiad club got 6 members, the opposite result i expected when i first had the ideas to make these school clubs. more linguistics, but also with other people. totally looking up to that. omg just typing this makes me hyped and grateful of my life, i was just a bit down cuz i didn't study enough math despite having the time, cuz i mostly spent the time reading about mathematicians.