What does it mean to shuffle a deck? Here are some of the slides I made for my @MathforAmerica talk at #MfAThursdayThinks last night. We did a simple example with a 3 card deck. (Thread)
A state specifies what I know about the ordering (configuration) of a deck. (If you wish: a probability distribution on configurations of a deck.) 2/
A shuffle will move a deck from state to state. We did an example with a random-to-top shuffle, which picks a card at random (with equal probability) and moves it to the top of a deck. 3/
If you shuffle again, the probabilities mix again: 4/
Shuffling more mixes the deck more… approaching a random deck! This was a simple shuffle—the riffle shuffle is more complex (and I spoke about that as well)—but it gives you a sense of how we begin to understanding shuffling mathematically. (end)
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Dear @graciegcunning,
Since @JoelChan86@solidangles@hobbet and @mathillustrated all tagged me, I’ll take a crack at your first 2 questions: “how did they (mathematicians) know what they were looking for in theorizing about formulas, and how did they know they were right?” 1/
One of the great things about math is that it equips you to see the unseen: things otherwise invisible. There’s structure—patterns—all around us, governing the motion of planets, the spread of a virus, the data that Netflix uses to guess what you want to watch next. 2/
If you begin to ask ‘why’ (which you did in your videos) you are starting the journey of mathematical thinking (bravo!) that helps you see these unseen patterns. There’s great satisfaction and joy in understanding deeply *why* patterns are there: you’re unlocking mysteries! 3/
I’m teaching a college writing course this semester, and I’m noticing a lot of ways that #writing is like doing #math. Here’s a short list. Can you think of others? (thread) #iteachmath
1. Both involve reasoning and making convincing arguments.
2. Both involve creative choices about what arguments are most compelling.