Swoka Ikran is this weeks Mathematician of the Week! Seykxel sì nitram!
Swoka Ikran has been paired with
Thomas Edison1.
Who are you? - What is your name?
- Where are you from?
- How old are you?
These are just a few intro questions just so we know who you are.
My real name is Nick, and I'm from the United States. I live in the northeast about an hour west of Philadelphia, PA. I'm currently
19.58904 years old. I'm currently in university, majoring in
Information Sciences & Technology.
2.
What brought you to the Mathematics and Statistics board? Were you recommended/invited here by someone? Or did you simply stumble upon it by yourself?
I read about it when it was initially being proposed, and I've checked back occasionally ever since.
3.
For how long have you liked Math? When did you realise that you either enjoyed it or were good at it?
Probably in 11th grade. I took Algebra 3 that year and did very well in it despite being worried about it.
4.
What subjects/jobs do you do which involve Math? What do you do? To tell us how you use the knowledge you have!
Programming mainly. I rarely use any math beyond Algebra, although differential calculus came in handy once...
5.
What Math-related subjects did you take in High School? Or if you are a student, what are you currently studying? State what the course is about and whether or not you enjoy it.
When I was in high school, I took Geometry, Algebra II, and Algebra III. I was also in technical school at the time for electronics and computers...the first year involved quite a bit of math.
In university, I took Calculus 1. I'll have to take a special computer-oriented mathematics course and Statistics by the time I graduate.
6.
What is your favourite number? Why? Is it your lucky number? Date of birth? How did it come to be your favourite number?
Probably 4. I don't know why I like it so much, but if someone asks for a random number, it's always the first one I choose.
7.
Who is your favourite Mathematician/Scientist. Why? Have they motivated you to continue your studies? How have they influenced you? What do they do?
Thomas Edison is my favorite. I've liked reading about him ever since I was young, and we still use his inventions today. Edison is probably the reason I ended up with an interest in electricity...which later became an interest in electronics, then computers.
8.
What is your favorite function in math and why?Do you think it's very aesthetic or funny?
Y = 1 / X
...especially when X=0. For some odd reason, I've always found the concept of division by zero funny. Also, the graph of 1/X can prove quite useful at times.
9.
Three statements about yourself - True or false? - The community has to answerWhatever you want - but at least one of them must be true. Keep the answers secret until the end of your reign.
1. I hold the class record for highest course score in my university's Differential Calculus class.
2. I won 6th place in a Pennsylvania state-wide computer repair competition, out of 100 contestants.
3. I've never taken Chemistry or Physics.
10.
Pi or Tau? Which do you prefer? Why?
Pi. Never heard of Tau.
11.
Do you prefer to work in degrees or Rads? Degrees. I've never found a use for Radians in the math I do.
12.
Calculatorly or manually? Do you prefer to solve your problem (especially in Calculus) using a calculator or your patience and skill?
Calculator where possible. Been using a TI-83 Plus since I started high school. Makes drawing graphs easy, but I still do quite a bit of work by hand.
13.
Joke time! Come up with your best Math joke. No sourcing!
I've got nothing...
14.
Do you feel the temptation in tests to write your justifications in Na'vi? Have you? If so, when and why?
Nope, for 2 reasons:
* I haven't had to justify any work since I joined here (my calculus class didn't even require it. We just had to show all the work)
* I don't speak Na'vi well at all.
15.
Do you like Physics too? Not really. I have no use for it. In the computer field, the most it'd probably be useful for is determining the amount of force applied to my foot when I drop a computer on it. (Someone actually did this math out in tech school when I accidentally dropped a
fully-loaded server chassis on my foot).
16.
Real-Life Picture (Optional) Don't got one to post right now. If I find a decent one, I'll edit this.
17.
Do you have any other hobbies? No matter how strange they may be...
Programming, collecting Avatar stuff, and watching a lot of crime-drama and reality TV.
On average, I spend over 6 hours a day on the computer, on the days I don't have class.
18.
This is the story Type no more than one sentence. The proceeding Mathematician of the week will then type another sentence continuing the story. A stickied thread can be found showing the story's progress hitherto.
Panicked, I began searching for more creative ways to wake myself up.
