Qiaochu Yuan

Berkeley, CA

http://math.berkeley.edu/~qchu/

I am a graduate student at UC Berkeley.

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Intuition for the definition of the Gamma function?

probability-theory special-functions intuition gamma-function asked Aug 27, 2010 at 5:01

math.stackexchange.com

200 votes

What are your favorite instructional counterexamples?

soft-question big-list examples mathematics-education asked Mar 2, 2010 at 5:57

mathoverflow.net

181 votes

How do I make the conceptual transition from multivariable calculus to differential forms?

dg.differential-geometry ca.analysis-and-odes smooth-manifolds intuition asked Jan 3, 2010 at 10:11

mathoverflow.net

164 votes

What properties of busy beaver numbers are computable?

computability asked Jan 6, 2013 at 23:58

math.stackexchange.com

150 votes

Extremely messy proofs

big-list ho.history-overview asked Oct 27, 2010 at 16:01

mathoverflow.net

148 votes

Where does a math person go to learn quantum mechanics?

mp.mathematical-physics big-list quantum-mechanics books asked Oct 27, 2009 at 22:29

mathoverflow.net

107 votes

What do heat kernels have to do with the Riemann-Roch theorem and the Gauss-Bonnet theorem?

ag.algebraic-geometry dg.differential-geometry ap.analysis-of-pdes manifolds index-theory asked Feb 8, 2010 at 23:54

mathoverflow.net

99 votes

What is (co)homology, and how does a beginner gain intuition about it?

homology cohomology intuition asked Oct 15, 2009 at 19:49

mathoverflow.net

94 votes

Why is it a good idea to study a ring by studying its modules?

soft-question ra.rings-and-algebras big-picture asked Nov 12, 2009 at 19:55

mathoverflow.net

79 votes

Can the Lawvere fixed point theorem be used to prove the Brouwer fixed point theorem?

ct.category-theory gn.general-topology fixed-point-theorems asked Jul 12, 2013 at 6:53

mathoverflow.net

Top Answers

589

Does $\pi$ contain all possible number combinations?

math.stackexchange.com

551

Mathematical difference between white and black notes in a piano

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290

V.I. Arnold says Russian students can't solve this problem, but American students can -- why?

math.stackexchange.com

269

Examples of common false beliefs in mathematics

mathoverflow.net

210

Prove that $C e^x$ is the only set of functions for which $f(x) = f'(x)$

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206

What should be the intuition when working with compactness?

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193

Most harmful heuristic?

mathoverflow.net

183

Is infinity a number?

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170

What are the most misleading alternate definitions in taught mathematics?

mathoverflow.net

166

Is it possible to represent every huge number in abbreviated form?

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165

How many sides does a circle have?

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157

Do good math jokes exist?

mathoverflow.net

143

Why is integration so much harder than differentiation?

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130

Given an infinite number of monkeys and an infinite amount of time, would one of them write Hamlet?

math.stackexchange.com

128

How do you describe your mathematical research in layman's terms?

math.stackexchange.com

124

What is entropy, really?

mathoverflow.net

117

What are the most misleading alternate definitions in taught mathematics?

mathoverflow.net

114

Could I be using proof by contradiction too much?

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114

Intuition behind conjugation in group theory

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113

How is a system of axioms different from a system of beliefs?

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112

A challenge by R. P. Feynman: give counter-intuitive theorems that can be translated into everyday language

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112

What are your favorite instructional counterexamples?

mathoverflow.net

111

What is the Jacobian matrix?

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109

What is the Riemann-Zeta function?

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106

What is the practical difference between a differential and a derivative?

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106

Why are differentiable complex functions infinitely differentiable?

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104

Why is a circle in a plane surrounded by 6 other circles?

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102

Why Zariski topology?

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Elementary proof that $\mathbb{R}^n$ is not homeomorphic to $\mathbb{R}^m$

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The Basel problem

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