Master of Memory: Accelerated learning, education, memorization - MMem 0363: Accelerated learning for set theory

Episode Date: July 29, 2015

Daniel asks about creating accelerated learning techniques for set theory and other fields of math. I give suggestions for how to present these concepts in a meaningful, easy-to-learn way. What do you want to learn? Leave your question at http://MasterOfMemory.com/. Music credit: Maurice Ravel’s String Quartet, 2nd movement, performed by the US Army Band.

Master of Memory 363. Welcome to Master of Memory. I'm Timothy, and I'm here to answer your accelerated learning questions every day and to inspire and empower you to learn anything you want to learn faster than ever. Daniel submitted a written question at masterofmemory.com slash question. Daniel says, I'd like to create techniques for set theory and other types of math analogous to these number methods. Any suggestions? So, Daniel, I do have some suggestions for getting started. And since I don't know enough about set theory and haven't really worked with it enough to give some more detailed examples and detailed techniques,

just send me an email and tell me what you think of these techniques, and I'd be happy to collaborate with you further on this. So I would start by applying exclusivity, and that's generally what I recommend doing when approaching a new topic. Start with exclusivity, learn a few things really well, the few things that are going to get the best results, and then move on from there. Now with set theory I would start with vocabulary. So learning notation and terms such as union, intersection, set difference, symmetric difference, Cartesian product, power set, and so on. So you get to know the essential terms really well and what exactly those things are that we're talking about, what is a symmetric difference, and so on, until you

could easily see how these apply to some simple sets of integers, which you can use over and over again to work on the various basic concepts. You can use some the same few sets of objects to demonstrate the different things. You could have a few numbers that you use to demonstrate union, you use the same numbers to demonstrate intersections, set differences, and so on, and people will more easily understand what you're talking about and you'll be able to understand it more simply if you just use the same sets over and over. Now to create your mnemonics, what I would recommend is, well, you want to illustrate these concepts graphically. So you might personify something,

turn some things into people, perhaps either the members of the integer sets you're working with, like you'd have a group of memorable characters that can easily demonstrate what intersections are, what unions are, what symmetric differences are, and so on. So maybe you have a group of men, and you have a group of bankers. And so there's one guy that's a banker, but the other bankers are women. So that guy that's a banker is the intersect, and everybody else is the symmetric difference. And then you could emphasize the symmetric aspect of the symmetric difference by having the women stand on one side, the men stand on the other side, this man standing in the middle, and then him looking back and forth as if it's a mirror of men versus women. That's the symmetric difference. So that may be fairly simplistic, but it's just a

matter of taking the most essential concepts, turning them into something strikingly visual and memorable, and then expanding from there into more advanced subjects based on what you've already done. So Daniel, I'd love to get a message from you and work with you further on this, and I'd also love to get an iTunes review from you if you're willing to give us however many stars you think this show is worth and write something about the show that's honest. And these reviews have a multiplying effect to let other people see the show as well, so I'd love to see a review from anybody who's listening. Meanwhile, what do you want to learn? The world's knowledge can be yours. Leave your learning request at masterofmemory.com

slash question, and I'll talk to you again soon. Thank you.