Mathematics is often criticized for having more than its fair share of these disconnected words. “Conjugate” and “discriminant” come to mind. The only connection we have to these words is from their usage in a very limited context. Why not change our terminology to allow our experience to influence our understanding of the mathematics? As a starting point, I nominate “imposter solution” to replace the outdated “extraneous solution”.
Along the landscape of English vernacular, there are some words that we say because those are the words we say. Have you ever encountered an abode that was not “humble” or a “petard” that was doing something other than hoisting?
Mathematics is often criticized for having more than its fair share of these disconnected words. “Conjugate” and “discriminant” come to mind. The only connection we have to these words is from their usage in a very limited context. Why not change our terminology to allow our experience to influence our understanding of the mathematics? As a starting point, I nominate “imposter solution” to replace the outdated “extraneous solution”.
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About Me
I started this blog to share my transformation from math nerd to math nerd who loves to share math with young people. I teach high school in Hanoi, Vietnam. Your comments are always welcome. Archives
May 2021
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