Runnel Zhang
Date-first mathematical archive

INM: Informal Notes on Mathematics

A dated archive of mathematical notes reconstructed into an English TeX book.

158 dated notes15 thematic volumes in the book versionPDF + TeX for each note
Showing 158 notes, sorted by date. The full PDF is volume-organized; this website preserves the dated archive order.

2026

Jun
21
Jun
2026
N-20260621Complex Analysis12 sections

The Heat Equation, Diffusion, and Similarity Solutions

Contents preview
  1. Diffusion versus wave motion
  2. Heat kernel on the whole line
  3. Similarity solution on a semi-infinite rod
  4. Fourier series for a finite rod
  5. Maximum principle
  6. Energy decay on an interval
  7. The maximum principle with proof idea
  8. Smoothing and the heat semigroup
20
Jun
2026
N-20260620Complex Analysis10 sections

The Second-Order Wave Equation and d'Alembert's Formula

Contents preview
  1. The equation and its physical meaning
  2. Factorization into transport operators
  3. Initial-value problem on the whole line
  4. Finite strings and Fourier series
  5. Energy conservation
  6. Inhomogeneous wave equation and Duhamel's principle
  7. Boundary conditions on a finite interval
  8. Deriving the Fourier coefficients
19
Jun
2026
N-20260619Complex Analysis10 sections

First-Order Partial Differential Equations and Characteristics

Contents preview
  1. What a first-order PDE asks for
  2. The unforced transport equation
  3. Example: translating a parabola
  4. Forced transport
  5. What can go wrong
  6. General linear first-order equations
  7. Quasilinear equations
  8. Crossing characteristics and shocks
18
Jun
2026
N-20260618Complex Analysis17 sections

First-Order and Higher-Order Differential Equations

Contents preview
  1. Why the differential-equation part is one note
  2. Basic concepts
  3. Separable equations
  4. Homogeneous first-order equations
  5. First-order linear equations
  6. Bernoulli equations
  7. Exact equations
  8. Reducible higher-order equations
17
Jun
2026
N-20260617Complex Analysis20 sections

Fourier Series and Orthogonal Expansion of Functions

Contents preview
  1. Why Fourier series is a separate theme
  2. Orthogonality of trigonometric functions
  3. Fourier coefficients
  4. Dirichlet convergence theorem
  5. Even and odd functions
  6. Half-range expansions
  7. Concrete coefficient models
  8. Dirichlet kernel: what partial sums really do
16
Jun
2026
N-20260616Complex Analysis14 sections

Numerical Series, Power Series, Taylor Series, and Improper Integrals

Contents preview
  1. Why these topics belong together
  2. Numerical series
  3. Positive-term series
  4. Ratio and root tests
  5. Alternating and arbitrary-sign series
  6. Function series and uniform convergence
  7. Power series
  8. Taylor series
15
Jun
2026
N-20260615Vector Calculus20 sections

Surface Integrals, Gauss Theorem, and Stokes Theorem

Contents preview
  1. Why this note is split this way
  2. Four similar-looking integrals
  3. First-kind surface integrals
  4. Template surfaces
  5. Example pattern: spherical cap
  6. Second-kind surface integrals as flux
  7. Model flux computations: closed, capped, singular, and sheeted
  8. Gauss theorem
04
Jun
2026
N-20260604Linear Algebra16 sections

Solving Linear Systems: Direct, Iterative, and Optimization Methods

Contents preview
  1. The computational problem
  2. Triangular solves
  3. Gauss elimination
  4. Pivoting
  5. LU solution
  6. Cholesky and LDL
  7. Tridiagonal chasing
  8. Stationary iteration
03
Jun
2026
N-20260603Linear Algebra15 sections

Generalized Inverses, Projections, and Least-Squares Geometry

Contents preview
  1. Why ordinary inverse is not enough
  2. Four regimes
  3. Penrose equations
  4. Fifteen generalized inverses
  5. Projection transformations
  6. Idempotence and orthogonality
  7. Column and row-space projections
  8. SVD computation
02
Jun
2026
N-20260602Linear Algebra15 sections

Matrix Decompositions: LU, Cholesky, Full Rank, and SVD

Contents preview
  1. Why decompositions are algorithms
  2. Doolittle LU
  3. Existence and uniqueness
  4. Elimination matrices
  5. Doolittle formulas
  6. Pivoting
  7. Storage of LU
  8. Cholesky decomposition
Apr
17
Apr
2026
N-20260417Vector Calculus13 sections

Green's Theorem, Conservative Fields, and the Planar Stokes Principle

Contents preview
  1. Green's theorem
  2. Proof idea: rectangles and cancellation
  3. Conservative fields and path independence
  4. The punctured-plane warning
  5. Area by Green's theorem
  6. Differential forms notation
  7. Closed forms, exact forms, and topology
  8. Connection with de Rham cohomology
16
Apr
2026
N-20260416Vector Calculus14 sections

Line Integrals and Surface Integrals of the First and Second Kind

Contents preview
  1. Two meanings of integration on curves
  2. Line integrals with respect to arc length
  3. Line integrals of vector fields
  4. Surface integrals of scalar fields
  5. Flux integrals
  6. First kind versus second kind
  7. Parametrization invariance
  8. Differential forms viewpoint
08
Apr
2026
N-20260408Vector Calculus13 sections

Volumes, Spatial Regions, and Order of Integration

Contents preview
  1. Volume as an integral
  2. Describing spatial regions
  3. A reconstruction workflow
  4. Changing order of integration
  5. Cross-sections
  6. Top minus bottom
  7. Cylindrical and spherical descriptions
  8. Absolute extrema over solids
06
Apr
2026
N-20260406Vector Calculus14 sections

Triple Integrals: Solids, Cylindrical Coordinates, and Spherical Coordinates

Contents preview
  1. Triple integrals as weighted volume
  2. Rectangular-coordinate example
  3. Cylindrical coordinates
  4. Spherical coordinates
  5. Coordinate-choice table
  6. Mass, center of mass, and moments
  7. Symmetry
  8. Three ways to understand volume factors
05
Apr
2026
N-20260405Vector Calculus13 sections

Computing Double Integrals: Slicing, Polar Coordinates, and Change of Variables

Contents preview
  1. The real task: describe the region
  2. Changing the order of integration
  3. Polar coordinates
  4. Jacobian as local area scaling
  5. Why the absolute value appears
  6. A linear change example
  7. Choosing coordinates
  8. Slicing as pushforward of area
03
Apr
2026
N-20260403Vector Calculus13 sections

Double Integrals: Riemann Sums, Area, Symmetry, and Average Value

Contents preview
  1. From area sums to double integrals
  2. Geometric meanings
  3. Basic properties
  4. Existence of the integral
  5. Symmetry before computation
  6. Mean value theorem for double integrals
  7. A worked average-value example
  8. Relation with product measure
Mar
25
Mar
2026
N-20260325Multivariable Calculus7 sections

Extrema of Two-Variable Functions and the Hessian Test

Contents preview
  1. Local extrema
  2. First-order necessary condition
  3. Quadratic model and the Hessian
  4. Second derivative test
  5. A picture of the Hessian test
  6. Constrained extrema
  7. Endpoint and boundary warnings
18
Mar
2026
N-20260318Linear Algebra14 sections

Matrix Computation III: Canonical Forms, Localization, and Iteration

Contents preview
  1. Why canonical forms matter
  2. Polynomial matrices
  3. Smith normal form
  4. Jordan data from elementary divisors
  5. Jordan chains
  6. Computing powers
  7. Gershgorin discs
  8. Gershgorin figure
14
Mar
2026
N-20260314Multivariable Calculus8 sections

A Problem-Solving Guide for Multivariable Limits and Local Geometry

Contents preview
  1. Purpose of this guide
  2. Classifying points relative to a set
  3. Limit templates
  4. Degree comparison for rational expressions
  5. Differentiability checklist
  6. Tangent and normal templates
  7. Local extrema template
  8. Common failure modes
13
Mar
2026
N-20260313Multivariable Calculus8 sections

Multivariable Chain Rule, Total Differentials, and Implicit Differentiation

Contents preview
  1. The chain rule is composition of linear maps
  2. One input variable, two intermediate variables
  3. Two input variables
  4. Total differentials
  5. Implicit differentiation in one equation
  6. Implicit differentiation for systems
  7. A shape table
  8. What to carry forward
12
Mar
2026
N-20260312Linear Algebra13 sections

Matrix Computation II: Spectral Radius, Stability, and Conditioning

Contents preview
  1. The long-term question
  2. Spectral radius
  3. Spectral radius is not a norm
  4. Approximating spectral radius
  5. Convergent matrices
  6. Jordan boundary behavior
  7. Neumann series
  8. Matrix power series
11
Mar
2026
N-20260311Linear Algebra12 sections

Matrix Computation I: Norms, Operators, and Numerical Size

Contents preview
  1. Why size matters
  2. Metrics and completeness
  3. Normed vector spaces
  4. Standard vector norms
  5. Matrix norms
  6. Unitary invariance
  7. Induced norms
  8. Normal matrices
06
Mar
2026
N-20260306Multivariable Calculus8 sections

Multivariable Limits, Continuity, Differentiability, and the Total Derivative

Contents preview
  1. What changes from one variable to many
  2. How to prove and disprove limits
  3. Continuity
  4. Partial and directional derivatives
  5. Differentiability as linear approximation
  6. Tangent planes and normal vectors
  7. Mixed partial derivatives
  8. The main lesson
05
Mar
2026
N-20260305Linear Algebra9 sections

Orthogonal Projection, Least Squares, and the Pseudoinverse

Contents preview
  1. Projection onto a subspace
  2. Projection matrix and least squares
  3. Pseudoinverse
  4. Projection geometry in the source diagram
  5. Bridge to later ideas
  6. Projection theorem
  7. Normal equations
  8. Pseudoinverse and singular values
04
Mar
2026
N-20260304Multivariable Calculus8 sections

Point-Set Language in Rn\mathbb R^n: Neighborhoods, Boundaries, and Compactness

Contents preview
  1. Why point-set language appears
  2. Balls and neighborhoods
  3. Interior, exterior, and boundary
  4. Open and closed sets
  5. Accumulation points and closure
  6. Boundedness and compactness
  7. Connectedness and path-connectedness
  8. What this vocabulary controls
03
Mar
2026
N-20260303Linear Algebra8 sections

Two-Dimensional Linear Maps, Spectral Geometry, and Singular Value Decomposition

Contents preview
  1. Concept map of the chapter
  2. Five model transformations
  3. A spectral example: a biological neural network
  4. SVD as a sequence of geometric operations
  5. SVD and latent structure in data
  6. Rank-one blocks and image compression
  7. A taxonomy of matrix properties
  8. Closing perspective
02
Mar
2026
N-20260302Machine Learning15 sections

Pure Mathematics as a Language for Machine Learning and Data Analysis

Contents preview
  1. Backpropagation as cotangent pullback
  2. Geometric data analysis
  3. Manifold hypothesis and embeddings
  4. Optimal transport and stochastic dynamics
  5. Symmetry, equivariance, and category-like thinking
  6. Further direction
  7. Backpropagation and differential geometry
  8. Manifold hypothesis and representation learning
Jan
06
Jan
2026
N-20260106Calculus16 sections

Calculus Review III: Convexity, Integral Inequalities, Wallis Formula, and More

Contents preview
  1. Convexity and the Hermite–Hadamard inequality
  2. Kantorovich-type integral inequality
  3. Integral mean value with odd symmetry
  4. Symmetry of integrals about the midpoint
  5. Midpoint and trapezoidal error terms
  6. First special integral
  7. Positivity of a Fresnel-type integral
  8. A symmetry integral with arcsine
05
Jan
2026
N-20260105Linear Algebra33 sections

Linear Algebra Review IV: Eigenvalue Tricks, Positive Definiteness, and More

Contents preview
  1. Eigenvalues of matrix functions
  2. No real eigenvector from a quadratic relation
  3. Independence of eigenvectors
  4. Real symmetric reconstruction from eigenvalues
  5. Similarity invariants: trace and determinant
  6. Trace shortcuts
  7. Row-sum eigenvectors
  8. Diagonalization problems
03
Jan
2026
N-20260103Linear Algebra34 sections

Linear Algebra Review III: Determinant Tricks, Rank, Matrix Powers, and More

Contents preview
  1. Determinant expansion and cofactors
  2. Recursive determinants
  3. Circulant-style determinant
  4. Cancellation through orthogonal matrices
  5. Determinant product and block simplification
  6. Schur-complement style block transformation
  7. Rank-two decomposition
  8. Adjugate identities

2025

Dec
17
Dec
2025
N-20251217Topology and Homotopy15 sections

A Nontrivial Loop at Zero: FinSet K-Theory and Stable Homotopy

Contents preview
  1. Why this second note exists
  2. The lecture starts from ordinary equations
  3. The Hopf fibration as the first nontrivial map
  4. Homotopy groups and the first stable class
  5. From natural numbers to finite sets
  6. The space of finite sets
  7. Why the first guess was close but reversed
  8. Finite sets and stable spheres
10
Dec
2025
N-20251210Calculus23 sections

Calculus Review II: Monotonicity, Integration Methods, Applications, and More

Contents preview
  1. Strict monotonicity from the derivative
  2. First derivative test for extrema
  3. Second derivative test
  4. Concavity and inflection points
  5. Asymptotes
  6. General procedure for sketching a curve
  7. Basic antiderivative table
  8. Substitution
02
Dec
2025
N-20251202Linear Algebra28 sections

Linear Algebra Review II: Diagonalization, Inner Products, Quadratic Forms, and More

Contents preview
  1. Diagonalizable matrices
  2. Diagonalizability is independent from other properties
  3. Algebraic and geometric multiplicity
  4. Procedure for diagonalization
  5. Inner product and vector length
  6. Orthogonal and orthonormal systems
  7. Schmidt orthogonalization
  8. Example of Schmidt orthogonalization
Nov
28
Nov
2025
N-20251128Combinatorics and Models9 sections

Self-Avoiding Walks III: Lace Expansion, Functional Integrals, and the Critical Dimension Four

Contents preview
  1. The high-dimensional philosophy
  2. The two-point function
  3. The lace expansion as corrected random walk
  4. Bubble diagrams and diagrammatic estimates
  5. Differential inequalities
  6. Functional integral representations
  7. Dimension four and logarithmic corrections
  8. How the three methods fit together
27
Nov
2025
N-20251127Combinatorics and Models9 sections

Self-Avoiding Walks II: The Hexagonal Lattice, Holomorphic Observables, and the Exact Connective Constant

Contents preview
  1. Why the hexagonal lattice is special
  2. A domain version of the counting problem
  3. The parafermionic observable
  4. From local cancellation to a global identity
  5. The upper bound on the connective constant
  6. The lower bound on the connective constant
  7. Relation with SLE
  8. Loop models and the same mechanism
26
Nov
2025
N-20251126Combinatorics and Models7 sections

Self-Avoiding Walks I: Connective Constants, Bridges, Polygons, and Critical Exponents

Contents preview
  1. What the model is trying to measure
  2. Submultiplicativity and the connective constant
  3. Bridges and why they help
  4. Polygons
  5. Critical exponents
  6. How dimension changes the story
  7. The broader lesson
14
Nov
2025
N-20251114Arithmetic Geometry12 sections

Teichmueller Theory Without One Universe: Classical Deformation, Hodge Theaters, and Identification

Contents preview
  1. Why the word Teichmueller matters
  2. Classical Teichmueller theory: fixed topology, variable complex structure
  3. Distortion is measured in one universe
  4. Why the arithmetic analogy cannot be literal
  5. Hodge theaters as arithmetic stages
  6. Etale-like and Frobenius-like directions
  7. The theta-link is the point where one universe breaks
  8. The log-link does not restore naive equality
13
Nov
2025
N-20251113Arithmetic Geometry12 sections

When Addition Starts Floating: Theta-Links, Log-Links, and Arithmetic Deformation

Contents preview
  1. What has to be explained
  2. The nonarchimedean theta-function
  3. The local theta-link as a non-ring-theoretic map
  4. The bridge supplied by Kummer theory
  5. Two symmetries and the bookkeeping of labels
  6. Conjugate synchronization and the basepoint problem
  7. The log-link: recovering additive structure from multiplicative structure
  8. The log-theta-lattice
12
Nov
2025
N-20251112Calculus18 sections

Calculus Review I: Inequalities, Limits, Derivatives, and More

Contents preview
  1. Cauchy–Schwarz and Minkowski
  2. Neighborhood notation
  3. Trigonometric identities
  4. Hyperbolic functions
  5. Sequence limits: epsilon–N language
  6. Infinite limits and one-sided limits
  7. Heine criterion for function limits
  8. Infinitesimals and infinitesimal orders
10
Nov
2025
N-20251110Linear Algebra27 sections

Linear Algebra Review I: Determinants, Rank, Linear Systems, and More

Contents preview
  1. Cofactor orthogonality
  2. Vandermonde determinant
  3. Block triangular determinants
  4. General Laplace expansion
  5. Determinant splitting
  6. Adding rows or columns
  7. Augmenting to a Vandermonde determinant
  8. Row and column transformations
09
Nov
2025
N-20251109Categories and Logic11 sections

Kernels, Cokernels, Images, and Coimages in Abelian Categories

Contents preview
  1. The setting: maps with zero maps
  2. Kernel: the universal object killed by a map
  3. Cokernel: the universal quotient killing a map
  4. Image: the part of the codomain actually reached
  5. Coimage: the effective part of the domain
  6. The standard factorization
  7. A vector-space sanity check
  8. A module example: multiplication by an integer
08
Nov
2025
N-20251108Linear Algebra21 sections

Notes on MML: Vectors, the Minus-One Trick, Linear Maps, Basis Change, Kernel, and Image

Contents preview
  1. Vectors beyond arrows
  2. The minus-one trick
  3. Example of the trick
  4. Linear mappings
  5. Complex numbers as a real vector space
  6. Finite-dimensional isomorphism theorem
  7. Basis change
  8. Equivalence and similarity
Oct
11
Oct
2025
N-20251011Machine Learning11 sections

The Reparameterization Trick and Auto-Encoding Variational Bayes

Contents preview
  1. The gradient problem
  2. Score-function estimator and pathwise estimator
  3. Gaussian reparameterization
  4. The stochastic ELBO estimator
  5. Why implementations output log variance
  6. Training as ELBO maximization
  7. Decoder likelihoods and reconstruction losses
  8. Generation after training
10
Oct
2025
N-20251010Machine Learning11 sections

Variational Inference: KL Divergence, Jensen, and the ELBO

Contents preview
  1. The approximate posterior as an optimization problem
  2. The ELBO identity
  3. Jensen's inequality derivation
  4. Reconstruction term and regularization term
  5. The ELBO gap
  6. Closed-form KL for diagonal Gaussians
  7. Negative ELBO as a loss
  8. Empirical lower bounds
09
Oct
2025
N-20251009Machine Learning10 sections

Latent Variable Models: Priors, Decoders, and Intractable Posteriors

Contents preview
  1. From autoencoders to latent variable models
  2. The generative story
  3. Graphical model notation
  4. Marginal likelihood
  5. The posterior problem
  6. Why naive Monte Carlo is not enough
  7. The recognition model
  8. Amortized inference
08
Oct
2025
N-20251008Machine Learning9 sections

Probability Language for Variational Autoencoders

Contents preview
  1. Why probability enters generative modeling
  2. Random variables, distributions, and densities
  3. Joint, marginal, and conditional distributions
  4. Bayes' rule as inversion of a generative story
  5. Gaussian distributions
  6. Expectation and Monte Carlo approximation
  7. KL divergence
  8. Jensen's inequality
Sep
26
Sep
2025
N-20250926Machine Learning16 sections

Backpropagation in One MLP Layer: From a Three-Dimensional Tensor to an Outer Product

Contents preview
  1. The setting
  2. The theoretical tensor
  3. Computing the sparse derivative
  4. Contraction by the chain rule
  5. Why the tensor disappears
  6. Contravariant reading of the same calculation
  7. Outer-product expression
  8. Numerical example
Jul
07
Jul
2025
N-20250707Curves and Structures8 sections

Nikonov's Paper at One Crossing: Region Probes, Partial Tribrackets, and What the Seminar Was About

Contents preview
  1. Reading only one small part of a long paper
  2. Where this sits inside Nikonov's paper
  3. A region is not just a blank patch
  4. At a crossing, four regions want to talk to each other
  5. Why the operation is partial
  6. Probe clearing and color rules
  7. What about crossings themselves?
  8. The paper in one playful sentence
05
Jul
2025
N-20250705Curves and Structures7 sections

Nikonov's Seminar Prelude: Knots, Diagrams, Probes, and the Space Between the Lines

Contents preview
  1. First orientation
  2. The topological object and its planar shadow
  3. Some basic knot-theory language
  4. The pieces of a diagram
  5. Nikonov's bridge: diagram elements as probes
  6. Invariants, coinvariants, and labels
  7. What this note is not trying to do
Mar
01
Mar
2025
N-20250301Curves and Structures13 sections

Projective Schemes and Gluing: Building Projective Space from Affine Windows

Contents preview
  1. Projective geometry returns with functions attached
  2. The projective line as the model
  3. Graded rings and homogeneous data
  4. Projective space as Proj
  5. The projective plane through three windows
  6. A conic across charts
  7. Projective closure with scheme memory
  8. What Proj adds
Feb
11
Feb
2025
N-20250211Classical Geometry17 sections

Transformations of Conics and the Erlangen View of Geometry

Contents preview
  1. The organizing question
  2. Affine transformations
  3. Conics in matrix form
  4. Projective geometry
  5. Cross-ratio
  6. Projective duality and conics
  7. Inversion
  8. Möbius transformations
Jan
18
Jan
2025
N-20250118Curves and Structures12 sections

Schemes Gently: A Guided Tour of Spectrum, Nilpotents, and Local Rings

Contents preview
  1. A new kind of point
  2. The affine line spectrum
  3. Closed sets and distinguished opens
  4. Localization is zooming in
  5. The structure sheaf
  6. Nilpotents: invisible but geometric
  7. The arithmetic curve
  8. Maximal ideals are not enough

2024

Oct
26
Oct
2024
N-20241026Curves and Structures14 sections

Zariski Geometry: When Functions Become the Space

Contents preview
  1. Starting from functions, not pictures
  2. Coordinate rings: a space through its functions
  3. Nullstellensatz: the dictionary becomes reliable
  4. The Zariski topology is coarse on purpose
  5. Distinguished opens and localization
  6. Sheaves: local data with a gluing rule
  7. Stalks: looking through a microscope
  8. A local example: two axes crossing
Sep
14
Sep
2024
N-20240914Curves and Structures12 sections

Divisors on Curves: The Bookkeeping of Zeros, Poles, and Functions

Contents preview
  1. A ledger for meromorphic functions
  2. Principal divisors: the ledger of one function
  3. Reading a divisor as permission
  4. Line bundles: permission becomes geometry
  5. The canonical divisor
  6. Riemann–Roch without intimidation
  7. Hurwitz as topology with branch points
  8. A divisor game on the sphere
Jul
27
Jul
2024
N-20240727Topology and Homotopy9 sections

Hopf Fibration, Homotopy, and the Infinite-Stability Reading

Contents preview
  1. What this chapter is for
  2. The first analytic reflex
  3. Why the Hopf and K-theory hints changed the search
  4. The Eilenberg swindle as the central guess
  5. How this looked like a K-theory statement
  6. The role I imagined for the Hopf fibration
  7. The meme as a learning ladder
  8. What the original interpretation claimed
Jun
08
Jun
2024
N-20240608Curves and Structures14 sections

Plane Curves as Algebraic Creatures: Equations, Rings, and Singularities

Contents preview
  1. The curve is not only the drawing
  2. The function ring of a curve
  3. When factorization becomes geometry
  4. Smooth points and singular points
  5. Tangent cones: the first nonzero shadow
  6. The cusp as a ring
  7. Intersections: one visible point may count twice
  8. Projective closure repairs missing intersections
May
18
May
2024
N-20240518Classical Geometry12 sections

Projective Geometry as the Art of Removing Exceptions

Contents preview
  1. The annoyance of parallel lines
  2. Homogeneous coordinates are ratios
  3. A coordinate scene: where parallel lines meet
  4. Duality: points and lines speak the same language
  5. Transformations and what survives
  6. A first invariant: the cross-ratio
  7. Conics as one projective family
  8. The projective plane as all lines through the origin
Apr
27
Apr
2024
N-20240427Vector Calculus13 sections

Differential Forms and Stokes: The Geometry of Boundary Measurements

Contents preview
  1. A theorem looking for its natural language
  2. One-forms: measuring motion
  3. The pullback experiment
  4. Two-forms: measuring oriented area
  5. Exterior derivative as one operator
  6. A familiar theorem reappears
  7. Orientation is not decoration
  8. Why arc length is a different kind of geometry
13
Apr
2024
N-20240413Multivariable Calculus13 sections

Local Linear Geometry: A Mapmaker's View of Derivatives and Tangent Spaces

Contents preview
  1. The mapmaker's problem
  2. Derivative first, partial derivatives second
  3. The chain rule is not a formula trick
  4. A small laboratory: polar coordinates
  5. Tangent planes from equations
  6. A manifold is a space with local Euclidean windows
  7. Two pictures of tangent vectors
  8. Regular values: one clean machine for making manifolds
Mar
30
Mar
2024
N-20240330Combinatorics and Models20 sections

Combinatorial Geometry, Euler Formula, Platonic Solids, Degree, and Quotients

Contents preview
  1. Good triangles
  2. Why vertices must lie on the convex hull
  3. Cyclic arc encoding
  4. The geometric idea behind the proof
  5. Euler formula for convex polyhedra
  6. Regular convex polyhedra
  7. Euler characteristic
  8. Degree of a map
23
Mar
2024
N-20240323Combinatorics and Models20 sections

Combinatorics: Identities, Generating Functions, Catalan Numbers, and More

Contents preview
  1. Binomial identities
  2. Good subsets
  3. Generating functions
  4. A probability example with repeated trials
  5. Catalan numbers
  6. Convex sets and convex hulls
  7. Separating convex sets
  8. Planar graphs and Euler-type counting
Feb
11
Feb
2024
N-20240211Categories and Logic16 sections

Topos Theory: Categorical Preliminaries, Internal Logic, and the Geometry of Sets

Contents preview
  1. Why topoi enter the story
  2. Categories
  3. Universal properties and limits
  4. Exponentials and cartesian closure
  5. Subobjects and the subobject classifier
  6. Elementary topoi
  7. A toy presheaf topos
  8. Grothendieck topoi and sheaves

2023

Aug
01
Aug
2023
N-20230801Curves and Structures18 sections

Reading Hitchin: Self-Duality Equations, Higgs Bundles, and Geometric Structures

Contents preview
  1. Starting point
  2. Connections and curvature
  3. Higgs bundles
  4. The moduli space
  5. The Hitchin fibration
  6. Spectral curves
  7. Geometric Langlands perspective
  8. Synthesis
Jul
10
Jul
2023
N-20230710Sets and Foundations12 sections

Foundations of Mathematics: Set Theory, Category Theory, and Type Theory

Contents preview
  1. The question of foundations
  2. Set theory
  3. Category theory
  4. Type theory
  5. Homotopy type theory and univalence
  6. Comparative analysis
  7. Modern applications
  8. Toward a unified perspective
Mar
16
Mar
2023
N-20230316Functions and Inequalities12 sections

Fixed Points, Iteration, and the Banach Contraction Principle

Contents preview
  1. Fixed points
  2. Iteration
  3. Metric spaces and contractions
  4. Banach fixed point theorem
  5. Error estimate
  6. Applications
  7. Beyond Banach
  8. What the example reveals
14
Mar
2023
N-20230314Categories and Logic7 sections

Category Theory Continued: Free and Forgetful Functors, Concrete Categories, and Group Actions

Contents preview
  1. Free and forgetful functors
  2. Faithful and full functors
  3. Concrete categories
  4. Functors out of a one-object group category
  5. Functors between one-object group categories
  6. Why the note says “learn algebra first”
  7. Looking ahead: natural transformations
13
Mar
2023
N-20230313Categories and Logic10 sections

Category Theory Continued: Posets, Groups as One-Object Categories, Products, and Monomorphisms

Contents preview
  1. What this note continues
  2. Posets are categories
  3. A small poset example
  4. Isomorphisms in a poset category
  5. Groups as one-object categories
  6. Why this example matters
  7. Products of categories
  8. The opposite category
11
Mar
2023
N-20230311Vector Calculus23 sections

Riemann Integration and Lebesgue Integration: From Partitions of the Domain to Partitions of Values

Contents preview
  1. Why two theories of integration exist
  2. Riemann sums
  3. Darboux upper and lower sums
  4. A simple integrable discontinuity
  5. Dirichlet's function
  6. The Lebesgue idea
  7. Characteristic functions and sets
  8. Convergence theorems
10
Mar
2023
N-20230310Calculus16 sections

Derivatives, Tangents, Extremal Problems, Young–Holder–Minkowski, and Jensen

Contents preview
  1. The derivative from secants to tangents
  2. Derivative notation and local definition
  3. Rules of differentiation
  4. Elementary derivative formulas
  5. Extrema, Fermat's lemma, and critical points
  6. A derivative proof of a basic inequality
  7. Young's inequality
  8. Holder's inequality
Feb
25
Feb
2023
N-20230225Sets and Foundations17 sections

Nonstandard Analysis and the Meaning of 0.999=10.999\ldots=1

Contents preview
  1. Why this topic appears
  2. The real-number proof
  3. Hyperreal numbers
  4. Infinitesimals and finite hyperreals
  5. Hyperfinite strings of nines
  6. Transfer principle
  7. Derivative through infinitesimals
  8. Integral through hyperfinite sums
23
Feb
2023
N-20230223Classical Geometry12 sections

Trigonometric Systems, Multiple-Angle Formulas, and a Determinant Recurrence

Contents preview
  1. Correcting a trigonometric mistake
  2. A trigonometric system
  3. A rational-parametrization idea
  4. A direct algebraic route
  5. Multiple-angle formulas
  6. The determinant recurrence
  7. From technique to structure
  8. Trigonometric systems as algebraic systems
20
Feb
2023
N-20230220Classical Geometry10 sections

Special Proofs of Trigonometric Addition Formulas

Contents preview
  1. Motivation
  2. Sine difference formula by geometry
  3. Rotation-matrix proof
  4. Euler formula proof
  5. Tangent formula
  6. The method behind the trick
  7. Rotation proof as the structural proof
  8. Euler formula and characters
17
Feb
2023
N-20230217Linear Algebra19 sections

A Brief Note on Tensors II: Tensor Products, Components, and More

Contents preview
  1. Tensor products and bases
  2. Bilinearity
  3. Metric, dot product, and components
  4. Reciprocal basis
  5. Covariant and contravariant components
  6. Vector product and Levi-Civita symbol
  7. Scalar triple product
  8. What changes next
09
Feb
2023
N-20230209Linear Algebra11 sections

Linear Maps, Matrix Representations, and Tensor Invariance

Contents preview
  1. From vector identities to linear representations
  2. Coordinates as isomorphisms
  3. The basis-change formula
  4. A worked basis-change example
  5. Which quantities are invariant?
  6. Covectors and the inverse-transpose rule
  7. Bilinear forms are not linear operators
  8. Symmetric and skew parts
05
Feb
2023
N-20230205Multivariable Calculus14 sections

Vector Triple Product, Exterior Algebra, and the Hodge Star

Contents preview
  1. The vector triple product
  2. Scalar triple product
  3. From vector identities to exterior algebra
  4. Levi-Civita notation
  5. Lagrange identity
  6. Why tensors enter naturally
  7. Coordinate-free moral
  8. The hidden structure
01
Feb
2023
N-20230201Vector Calculus12 sections

Newton's Shell Theorem: Solid Angle, Potential, and Gauss Law

Contents preview
  1. First orientation
  2. Statement of Newton's shell theorem
  3. Why symmetry alone is not enough
  4. Solid-angle proof in full detail
  5. Potential proof: doing the integral
  6. The direct force integral
  7. Gauss-law viewpoint
  8. Harmonic potential
Jan
27
Jan
2023
N-20230127Number Theory Basics15 sections

Factorization of i=0kxin\sum_{i=0}^k x^{in}: Roots of Unity, False Generalization, and Cyclotomic Structure

Contents preview
  1. The original problem and the first successful method
  2. The direct factorization attempt
  3. The attempted generalization
  4. The computational experiment
  5. Explicit root formula
  6. Common real factors
  7. The organizing idea
  8. Cyclotomic summary of the experiment
23
Jan
2023
N-20230123Vector Calculus15 sections

Definite Integrals, Line Integrals, Work, Green-Type Thinking, and Vector Operations

Contents preview
  1. Indefinite and definite integrals
  2. Area by slicing
  3. Work as an integral
  4. Line integrals
  5. Green-type intuition
  6. Polar coordinates
  7. Spherical coordinates
  8. Dot product and cross product
19
Jan
2023
N-20230119Classical Geometry17 sections

Plane Geometry I: Ceva, Menelaus, Ptolemy, Simson Line, and Euler Line

Contents preview
  1. Why this geometry chapter matters
  2. Ceva's theorem
  3. Menelaus' theorem
  4. Ptolemy's theorem
  5. Generalized Ptolemy inequality
  6. Simson line
  7. Euler line and Euler formula
  8. Why the pattern matters
18
Jan
2023
N-20230118Combinatorics and Models17 sections

Combinatorics: Pigeonhole Principle, Subsets, Binomial Sums, and Helly-Type Ideas

Contents preview
  1. Pigeonhole principle
  2. Subsets and binomial coefficients
  3. Binomial identities by double counting
  4. A subset-sum style example
  5. Generating functions
  6. Helly-type remark
  7. The next layer
  8. Pigeonhole as averaging
17
Jan
2023
N-20230117Functions and Inequalities18 sections

More Function Exercises: Periodicity, Piecewise Definitions, Images, and Functional Equations

Contents preview
  1. Continuing the function chapter
  2. Piecewise functions
  3. Periodicity from functional equations
  4. Graph transformations
  5. Image of an interval
  6. Functional equations and substitution
  7. Counting functions between finite sets
  8. A compact bridge
16
Jan
2023
N-20230116Functions and Inequalities17 sections

Functions, Mappings, Injections, Surjections, and Functional Equations

Contents preview
  1. What a function is
  2. Image and preimage
  3. Injective and surjective
  4. Composition and inverse functions
  5. Functional equations on finite sets
  6. Functional equations over real numbers
  7. Looking ahead
  8. Functions as morphisms
07
Jan
2023
N-20230107Functions and Inequalities11 sections

Function Graphs, Symmetry Centers, and Transformations

Contents preview
  1. A note on graph problems
  2. Centers of symmetry
  3. Symmetry about a line
  4. Absolute value transformations
  5. Zero counting by graphs
  6. How to find a center of symmetry in practice
  7. Absolute value as folding
  8. Parameter motion and intersection counting

2022

Dec
29
Dec
2022
N-20221229Topology and Homotopy19 sections

Algebraic Topology and Algebra: Products, Wedge Sums, CW Complexes, Cosets, and Surface Gluings

Contents preview
  1. What this note is really doing
  2. Disjoint union
  3. Wedge sum
  4. CW complexes: building spaces by cells
  5. The torus as a quotient of a square
  6. Cosets as algebraic quotients
  7. The Klein bottle
  8. Polygon schemata for surfaces
28
Dec
2022
N-20221228Topology and Homotopy15 sections

Quotient Topology and Product Topology

Contents preview
  1. Interval modulo endpoints
  2. More quotient spaces
  3. Definition of quotient topology
  4. Product topology
  5. Universal property of quotient topology
  6. Endpoint identification in detail
  7. Product topology via projections
  8. Quotient and product as opposite directions
27
Dec
2022
N-20221227Categories and Logic16 sections

Category Theory Continued and the Question Topology

Contents preview
  1. More examples of categories
  2. Subcategories and functors
  3. Forgetful functors
  4. A topology generated by a distance-like question
  5. Posets as categories, with an example
  6. Functorial thinking
  7. Generated topology
  8. Why category theory appears beside topology
23
Dec
2022
N-20221223Topology and Homotopy17 sections

Homotopy, Simply Connected Spaces, Semigroups, Groups, and Homomorphisms

Contents preview
  1. Homotopy intuition
  2. Simply connected spaces
  3. Semigroups, monoids, and groups
  4. Congruence, quotients, and homomorphisms
  5. Loops and the beginning of the fundamental group
  6. Why the punctured plane has nontrivial loops
  7. Homomorphisms as structure-preserving maps
  8. Quotients in topology and algebra
22
Dec
2022
N-20221222Topology and Homotopy17 sections

Topological Re-definitions, Subspaces, Connectedness, and Path-Connectedness

Contents preview
  1. Re-defining continuity
  2. Closed sets and closure
  3. Subspaces
  4. Connectedness
  5. Path-connectedness
  6. Continuity: why preimages appear
  7. Closure through neighborhoods
  8. Connectedness by continuous images
21
Dec
2022
N-20221221Topology and Homotopy11 sections

Basic Topology II: Completion, Homeomorphism Warnings, and Quotient Intuition

Contents preview
  1. Completion
  2. Let the buyer beware
  3. Homeomorphisms and embeddings
  4. Quotient intuition
  5. A more structural view
  6. Completion and its universal property
  7. Homeomorphism versus uniform equivalence
  8. Continuous bijections that are not homeomorphisms
18
Dec
2022
N-20221218Topology and Homotopy17 sections

Basic Topology I: Metric Spaces, Boundedness, Norms, Open Sets, and Completeness

Contents preview
  1. Why the note starts with metrics
  2. Boundedness: diameter and radius
  3. Metric spaces
  4. Sequences and continuity
  5. Standard metrics
  6. Norms and inner products
  7. Open and closed balls
  8. Open sets, closed sets, and limit points
17
Dec
2022
N-20221217Functions and Inequalities22 sections

Function Exercises: Domains, Ranges, Dirichlet Function, Parameters, and Functional Equations

Contents preview
  1. Structure of the exercise sheet
  2. Domain problems
  3. Floor functions
  4. Range problems
  5. Dirichlet function
  6. Graph transformations and zero counting
  7. Logarithmic parameter equation
  8. Functional equations with period-like recurrence
14
Dec
2022
N-20221214Curves and Structures18 sections

Tarski's Circle-Squaring Problem: From Polygon Dissection to Borel Equidecomposition

Contents preview
  1. The route of the note
  2. Equidecomposability and dissection congruence
  3. Hilbert's third problem and the Dehn invariant
  4. Measure-theoretic background
  5. Tarski's circle-squaring problem
  6. Scissors congruence and why nice pieces fail
  7. Laczkovich's positive theorem
  8. First idea: work in the torus
11
Dec
2022
N-20221211Calculus16 sections

Derivatives: Definition, Rules, Elementary Functions, and Inverse Trigonometric Derivatives

Contents preview
  1. Average velocity and instantaneous velocity
  2. Derivative notation
  3. Power functions
  4. Exponential and logarithmic derivatives
  5. Trigonometric derivatives
  6. Inverse trigonometric derivatives
  7. Examples
  8. Context and outlook
10
Dec
2022
N-20221210Combinatorics and Models15 sections

Binomial Theorem, Absolute-Value Estimates, and Set Exercises

Contents preview
  1. Binomial theorem
  2. Absolute value of binomial sums
  3. A summation exercise
  4. Set exercises
  5. Counting subsets with properties
  6. Set-builder notation
  7. Closing perspective
  8. Binomial identities as counting in two languages
09
Dec
2022
N-20221209Combinatorics and Models18 sections

Set-Theoretic and Combinatorial Exercises after the First Lecture

Contents preview
  1. What this page is doing
  2. A floor-function example
  3. A binomial counting identity
  4. Solving a system by discriminants
  5. A prime-number exercise
  6. A nested-set exercise
  7. A recurrence of sets
  8. An intersection-counting problem
07
Dec
2022
N-20221207Combinatorics and Models17 sections

Set Problems, Extremal Counting, and Venn-Diagram Reasoning

Contents preview
  1. A set construction problem
  2. What this problem teaches
  3. A Venn-diagram necessary-and-sufficient problem
  4. Difference identities
  5. Coordinate and algebraic exercises
  6. A note on proof writing
  7. Extremal set problems: why constructions matter
  8. Venn diagrams versus proofs
05
Dec
2022
N-20221205Combinatorics and Models22 sections

Lecture Notes on Sets, Counting, and Binomial Coefficients

Contents preview
  1. Summation and product notation
  2. De Morgan's laws
  3. Inclusion–exclusion
  4. Pigeonhole principle
  5. Addition and multiplication principles
  6. Permutations
  7. Combinations
  8. Pascal identity
Nov
26
Nov
2022
N-20221126Number Theory Basics18 sections

Congruence Classes, Complete Residue Systems, and Euler's Function

Contents preview
  1. Congruence
  2. Basic properties
  3. Residue classes
  4. Complete and reduced residue systems
  5. Example: last digit
  6. Example: reducing a long expression
  7. A polynomial congruence by induction
  8. Where the idea leads
20
Nov
2022
N-20221120Arithmetic Geometry17 sections

Elliptic Curves: Nonsingularity, Group Law, and Cryptographic Motivation

Contents preview
  1. Definition and nonsingularity
  2. Why the discriminant appears
  3. Cryptographic motivation
  4. Geometric addition law
  5. Algebraic formula
  6. Special cases and the point at infinity
  7. Why associativity is difficult
  8. Elliptic curves over finite fields
19
Nov
2022
N-20221119Number Theory Basics17 sections

Prime Numbers, Composite Numbers, Divisor Functions, Congruences, and Number-Theoretic Exercises

Contents preview
  1. Prime and composite numbers
  2. Euclid's theorem
  3. Prime divisibility
  4. Fundamental theorem of arithmetic
  5. Perfect numbers and square numbers
  6. Congruence exercises
  7. Broader perspective
  8. Prime exponents and valuations
07
Nov
2022
N-20221107Calculus10 sections

Trigonometric Limits, Derivatives, and Inverse Trigonometric Examples

Contents preview
  1. Trigonometric limits
  2. Derivative of sine and cosine
  3. Tangent, cotangent, secant, and cosecant
  4. Inverse trigonometric derivatives
  5. Examples from the handwritten page
  6. A closing lens
  7. The circle as a Lie group
  8. Trigonometric derivatives from the exponential
05
Nov
2022
N-20221105Functions and Inequalities10 sections

Function Exercises and Inequality Estimates

Contents preview
  1. A short note about elementary methods
  2. Periodicity from a transformed argument
  3. A quadratic minimum
  4. A logarithmic comparison
  5. A parameterized polynomial
  6. The conceptual turn
  7. Periodicity from transformed arguments
  8. Quadratic and logarithmic estimates
Oct
31
Oct
2022
N-20221031Number Theory Basics20 sections

Divisibility, Euclidean Algorithm, Greatest Common Divisor, Bezout, and Congruences

Contents preview
  1. Divisibility
  2. Division algorithm
  3. Greatest common divisor and least common multiple
  4. Euclidean algorithm
  5. Bezout theorem
  6. Gauss lemma and divisibility consequences
  7. Prime numbers
  8. Congruences
30
Oct
2022
N-20221030Number Theory Basics18 sections

Integer Arithmetic: Well-Ordering, Euclidean Algorithm, and the Euler Function

Contents preview
  1. The well-ordering principle
  2. Divisibility, gcd, and lcm
  3. Division algorithm
  4. Euclidean algorithm
  5. Example
  6. Fundamental theorem of arithmetic
  7. The Euler phi function
  8. The broader lesson
13
Oct
2022
N-20221013Number Theory Basics14 sections

Shoelace Formula, Remainder Theorem, and Modular Arithmetic

Contents preview
  1. Shoelace formula
  2. Why the shoelace formula works
  3. A circle-area maximum problem
  4. Remainder theorem
  5. A polynomial remainder example
  6. Congruence arithmetic
  7. Fermat and Euler
  8. Shoelace formula as oriented area
12
Oct
2022
N-20221012Functions and Inequalities15 sections

A Map of Classical Inequalities

Contents preview
  1. Bernoulli's inequality
  2. Power means
  3. Cauchy–Schwarz
  4. Minkowski inequality
  5. A three-variable inequality
  6. Chebyshev's inequality
  7. Jensen's inequality
  8. Young, Hölder, and Minkowski
05
Oct
2022
N-20221005Categories and Logic11 sections

Linear Logic: Resources, Dialogue, Narrative, and Geometry

Contents preview
  1. First orientation
  2. From truth to resources
  3. Narrative as a resource pipeline
  4. Tensor, additives, and branching stories
  5. Dialogue as a game
  6. Schopenhauer's stratagem as a ludic interaction
  7. Ludics: loci instead of signifieds
  8. Orthogonality and negation
02
Oct
2022
N-20221002Arithmetic Geometry21 sections

Finite Fields and Polynomial Factorization

Contents preview
  1. Why finite fields matter
  2. Fields
  3. Field extensions
  4. Constructing finite fields
  5. Important properties of finite fields
  6. Polynomial factorization over finite fields
  7. Algorithms
  8. Applications
Sep
18
Sep
2022
N-20220918Number Theory Basics11 sections

Divisibility by Finite Differences and Pairing

Contents preview
  1. A general odd-power divisibility principle
  2. Why finite differences work
  3. An alternating harmonic numerator
  4. The next abstraction
  5. Finite differences as discrete derivatives
  6. The binomial basis and integer-valued polynomials
  7. Pairing as group symmetry
  8. P-adic valuation and lifting intuition
13
Sep
2022
N-20220913Number Theory Basics15 sections

Divisibility, Congruences, and the Habit of Proving Necessity

Contents preview
  1. From guessing to proving
  2. Divisibility
  3. Example: reducing the dividend
  4. Example: polynomial divisibility in one variable
  5. Congruences
  6. A large power sum
  7. A wider interpretation
  8. Divisibility as ideal containment
11
Sep
2022
N-20220911Classical Geometry23 sections

Analytic Geometry: Lines, Circles, and Coordinate Tricks

Contents preview
  1. Line formulas
  2. Parallel and perpendicular lines
  3. Direction and normal vectors
  4. Angles, distances, and parallel lines
  5. Circle equations
  6. A fractional-linear range problem
  7. A graph-slope counting problem
  8. A moving-line maximum
Aug
13
Aug
2022
N-20220813Complex Analysis15 sections

Complex Contour Integrals and the Geometry of Integration

Contents preview
  1. Why complex integration is different
  2. Real integrals as a warm-up
  3. Contours and parametrization
  4. Riemann sums and midpoint sums
  5. Complex Riemann sums
  6. Integrals of powers on the unit circle
  7. Cauchy–Goursat theorem
  8. Contour integrals depend on paths
11
Aug
2022
N-20220811Functions and Inequalities18 sections

Inequality Exercises: Cauchy, AM–GM, Vectors, and Optimization

Contents preview
  1. How to read this note
  2. A fraction problem with a constraint
  3. A weighted square-root comparison
  4. Maximizing a radical expression
  5. Equality in Cauchy–Schwarz
  6. Triangle-angle inequalities
  7. Two spheres and a linear equation
  8. A product inequality
10
Aug
2022
N-20220810Functions and Inequalities11 sections

Basic Inequalities, Cauchy, Triangle Inequality, and Coordinate Geometry

Contents preview
  1. Basic inequalities
  2. AM–GM
  3. Cauchy's inequality
  4. Triangle inequality and its variants
  5. Worked AM–GM examples
  6. A Cauchy example
  7. Coordinate geometry at the end of the note
  8. What the examples reveal: three structures
08
Aug
2022
N-20220808Functions and Inequalities16 sections

Set Counting, Modular Patterns, and Mathematical Induction

Contents preview
  1. A set-counting problem
  2. A modular arithmetic construction
  3. Why not every construction is finished
  4. Sequence exercises
  5. Mathematical induction
  6. Examples of induction
  7. Induction structure
  8. Modular patterns
06
Aug
2022
N-20220806Functions and Inequalities23 sections

Set Theory Exercises, Closures, Functions, and Algebraic Side Notes

Contents preview
  1. Images, preimages, and finite set examples
  2. Closure under addition
  3. A combinatorial maximal-set problem
  4. Functional and algebraic exercises
  5. Matrix and coordinate side computations
  6. Images and preimages behave differently
  7. Closure operations
  8. The reusable pattern
03
Aug
2022
N-20220803Number Theory Basics13 sections

Arithmetic and Geometric Sequence Exercises

Contents preview
  1. A trigonometric opening example
  2. Logarithmic sequences
  3. Recovering terms from partial sums
  4. Sums and recurrence relations
  5. Geometric progression products
  6. A harmonic-looking sequence
  7. A final synthesis
  8. Sequences as discrete dynamical systems
02
Aug
2022
N-20220802Classical Geometry20 sections

Trigonometric Functions, Radians, Identities, and Triangle Formulas

Contents preview
  1. Angles and radians
  2. Sine, cosine, and tangent
  3. Special angles
  4. Addition formulas
  5. Double-angle and half-angle formulas
  6. Graphs of trigonometric functions
  7. Triangle formulas
  8. Radians are not a convention only
01
Aug
2022
N-20220801Functions and Inequalities24 sections

Set Exercises, Functions, and Elementary Problem-Solving

Contents preview
  1. Subsets and characteristic functions
  2. Set laws
  3. Venn diagram exercises
  4. Inclusion–exclusion with literature examples
  5. Set constructions with squares
  6. Floor functions
  7. Functions and monotonicity
  8. Characteristic functions and subsets
Jul
28
Jul
2022
N-20220728Multivariable Calculus19 sections

Spatial Vectors, Cross Products, and Categorical Products

Contents preview
  1. Spatial vectors
  2. Coordinate formulas
  3. Cross product
  4. From products to universal properties
  5. Categories and groupoids
  6. Cross product geometry
  7. Categorical product versus vector product
  8. What changes next
25
Jul
2022
N-20220725Linear Algebra10 sections

Permutations, Inversions, and Determinants

Contents preview
  1. Inversions and signs
  2. Definition of determinant
  3. Basic determinant properties
  4. Sarrus and triangular matrices
  5. Cofactor expansion
  6. A structured determinant
  7. The determinant line and exterior powers
  8. Why permutation signs are forced
23
Jul
2022
N-20220723Number Theory Basics7 sections

Roots of Unity, Decagons, and Cyclotomic Divisibility

Contents preview
  1. The ant on a decagon
  2. Roots of unity
  3. A broader pattern
  4. Cyclotomic viewpoint
  5. Why this is more than a trick
  6. Roots of unity viewpoint
  7. Cyclotomic divisibility
21
Jul
2022
N-20220721Functions and Inequalities12 sections

Probability, Conditional Probability, and Substitution Tricks in Inequalities

Contents preview
  1. Random experiments and sample spaces
  2. Classical model and Venn diagrams
  3. Conditional probability
  4. A transition to substitution tricks
  5. A classical symmetric equation
  6. Inequality examples
  7. Jensen, trigonometry, and contest style
  8. The hidden structure
20
Jul
2022
N-20220720Combinatorics and Models15 sections

Counting Principles, Binomial Identities, and Mixed Problem Solving

Contents preview
  1. Counting principles
  2. A divisibility example
  3. Permutations and combinations
  4. Binomial theorem
  5. Polynomial coefficients
  6. Further contest examples
  7. Binomial identities by stories
  8. When to use multiplication and when to use addition
19
Jul
2022
N-20220719Classical Geometry22 sections

Solid Geometry: Points, Lines, Planes, Parallelism, and Perpendicularity

Contents preview
  1. Why solid geometry feels different
  2. Basic axioms of incidence
  3. Relations between two lines
  4. A line and a plane
  5. Parallel planes and parallel lines
  6. Perpendicularity
  7. Projection theorem
  8. A coordinate viewpoint
18
Jul
2022
N-20220718Functions and Inequalities12 sections

Nonlinear Recurrences, Fixed Points, and Metric-Space Exercises

Contents preview
  1. Fixed-point iteration
  2. Möbius recurrences
  3. Example
  4. Second-order linear recurrences
  5. Dedekind cuts and metric exercises
  6. Fixed points of recurrence maps
  7. Monotone bounded sequences
  8. After the examples
17
Jul
2022
N-20220717Number Theory Basics16 sections

Recurrences, Arithmetic and Geometric Progressions, and the First Examples of Groups

Contents preview
  1. A beginning point: recursive definitions
  2. Arithmetic progressions
  3. Determining an arithmetic progression
  4. Geometric progressions
  5. Converting recurrences
  6. A factorial recurrence
  7. Groups
  8. Symmetric and dihedral groups
16
Jul
2022
N-20220716Classical Geometry11 sections

Conic Exercises: Lines, Ellipses, Parabolas, and Tangents

Contents preview
  1. Line and ellipse
  2. Tangents from a point to an ellipse
  3. Line and hyperbola
  4. Parabola tangent through a point
  5. A parabola and a circle
  6. An ellipse with prescribed quadrilateral area
  7. The next layer
  8. Tangency via discriminants
15
Jul
2022
N-20220715Classical Geometry14 sections

Conics and the Dedekind Construction of Addition

Contents preview
  1. Conic sections
  2. Latus rectum and tangent geometry
  3. Rational and irrational density
  4. Vector spaces
  5. Dedekind cuts and order
  6. Addition of Dedekind cuts
  7. Additive inverses
  8. Conics through focus and directrix
13
Jul
2022
N-20220713Sets and Foundations14 sections

Completeness, Supremum, Dedekind Cuts, and Metric Spaces

Contents preview
  1. Large and small positive real numbers
  2. The geometric view of the real line
  3. Supremum property
  4. Nested intervals imply completeness
  5. Dedekind cuts
  6. Metric spaces
  7. Subspaces and density
  8. Supremum as least upper bound
10
Jul
2022
N-20220710Sets and Foundations12 sections

Vectors, Ordered Fields, and the First Axioms of Real Numbers

Contents preview
  1. Plane vectors
  2. Field axioms
  3. Ordered fields
  4. Elementary consequences of the order axioms
  5. Nested intervals
  6. Ordered fields and the real line
  7. Vectors as algebraicized geometry
  8. The conceptual payoff
08
Jul
2022
N-20220708Classical Geometry17 sections

Directed Angles, Reflections, and the Miquel Point

Contents preview
  1. Reflecting the orthocenter
  2. The incenter–excenter lemma
  3. Miquel point of a triangle
  4. Directed angles reduce case distinctions
  5. Miquel point proof pattern
  6. Further context
  7. Directed angles as projective bookkeeping
  8. Reflections and isogonal structure
Jun
28
Jun
2022
N-20220628Calculus15 sections

Techniques of Integration: Partial Fractions, Parts, and Substitution

Contents preview
  1. Linearity
  2. Partial fractions
  3. Integration by parts
  4. Substitution
  5. Partial fractions as algebra before calculus
  6. Integration by parts as product rule reversed
  7. A second lens
  8. Partial fractions as algebra of poles
15
Jun
2022
N-20220615Classical Geometry19 sections

A Russian-Style Early Olympiad Game: Coordinates, Packing, and Symmetry

Contents preview
  1. What the note contains
  2. Problem 1: two distances under a linear constraint
  3. Problem 2: parabola and distance
  4. Problem 3: packing unit circles
  5. Problem 4: a symmetric Diophantine equation
  6. The larger pattern
  7. Coordinate choice and invariants
  8. Packing and density
May
01
May
2022
N-20220501Multivariable Calculus19 sections

Lagrange Multipliers, Hessians, Bordered Hessians, and Degenerate Extrema

Contents preview
  1. Why this note was too compressed before
  2. Lagrange multipliers: the basic idea
  3. Example: minimizing distance to a line
  4. Why the method is valid
  5. Hessian matrix and the second derivative test
  6. Sylvester criterion and eigenvalues
  7. Bordered Hessian
  8. Example revisited with a bordered Hessian
Apr
17
Apr
2022
N-20220417Functions and Inequalities18 sections

Proof Strategies, Cyclic Sums, and Inequality Methods

Contents preview
  1. Proof strategies
  2. Cyclic and symmetric sums
  3. AM–GM
  4. Muirhead's inequality
  5. Power means
  6. Hölder and Cauchy
  7. Jensen and Karamata
  8. Cyclic sums
12
Apr
2022
N-20220412Linear Algebra15 sections

Linear Algebra Continued: Indices, Rank, Transpose, Hermitian Conjugate, and Trace

Contents preview
  1. Unit vectors and Kronecker delta
  2. Einstein summation convention
  3. Rank
  4. Transpose and Hermitian conjugate
  5. Trace
  6. A more structural view
  7. Transpose and dual maps
  8. Hermitian adjoints in Hilbert spaces
11
Apr
2022
N-20220411Linear Algebra18 sections

Invertible Matrices, Adjoints, Row Reduction, and Rotations

Contents preview
  1. Invertibility
  2. Diagonal matrices
  3. Products of inverses
  4. Adjugate formula
  5. Row reduction for inverses
  6. Rotation matrices
  7. Beyond the first calculation
  8. Invertibility as isomorphism
09
Apr
2022
N-20220409Calculus13 sections

Faà di Bruno, Leibniz Rules, and Matrix Multiplication

Contents preview
  1. Motivation
  2. Faà di Bruno formula
  3. Leibniz's differential notation
  4. Parametric derivatives
  5. Differentiating determinants
  6. Matrix multiplication
  7. Schur complement
  8. What the pattern suggests
07
Apr
2022
N-20220407Linear Algebra12 sections

Exercises on Rn\mathbb R^n, Cn\mathbb C^n, Vector Spaces, and Subspaces

Contents preview
  1. Complex arithmetic
  2. Vector space identities
  3. A non-example with infinity
  4. Subspaces
  5. Bridge to later ideas
  6. How to read basic vector-space exercises
  7. Beyond real and complex scalar structures
  8. Quotient spaces
05
Apr
2022
N-20220405Multivariable Calculus10 sections

Fréchet Differentiability, Hessians, and Constrained Tests

Contents preview
  1. Fréchet differentiability and complex differentiability
  2. Fréchet derivative
  3. Visualizing complex maps
  4. Hessian matrices and Taylor expansion
  5. Bordered Hessian
  6. Example
  7. Finite fields and Galois theory
  8. Why complex analysis meets Hessians
Mar
23
Mar
2022
N-20220323Complex Analysis7 sections

Complex Differentiability and the Rigidity of Holomorphic Functions

Contents preview
  1. Why complex analysis feels different
  2. Complex derivative
  3. Basic examples
  4. Closure properties
  5. The main intuition
  6. Complex versus real differentiability
  7. Local power series intuition
21
Mar
2022
N-20220321Complex Analysis16 sections

Some Pre-Complex Analysis: Motion on the Unit Circle and Roots of Unity

Contents preview
  1. The complex exponential as motion
  2. Roots and angles
  3. A divisibility result
  4. Closing perspective
  5. Roots of unity as symmetry
  6. Context and outlook
  7. Roots of unity as a finite symmetry group
  8. Cyclotomic factorization
20
Mar
2022
N-20220320Calculus14 sections

A Review of Calculus: Mean Value Theorems and Continuity

Contents preview
  1. From the mean value theorem to Cauchy's form
  2. Continuity at a point
  3. How this note fits the previous one
  4. Rolle's theorem as the engine
  5. Cauchy's theorem and L'Hopital's rule
  6. Uniform continuity
  7. Further direction
  8. Mean value theorems as compactness plus local linearity
19
Mar
2022
N-20220319Calculus12 sections

A Review of Calculus: Sequences, Limits, Derivatives, and Integrals

Contents preview
  1. Sequences and convergence
  2. Limits of functions
  3. Derivatives
  4. Small-o and big-O
  5. Integration
  6. Why the epsilon definition is shaped this way
  7. Continuity by sequences
  8. Derivative as best linear approximation
15
Mar
2022
N-20220315Calculus11 sections

Quadratic Parameters, Tangency, and Constrained Extrema

Contents preview
  1. A scattered algebraic note
  2. A quadratic with parameters
  3. A parabola and a hyperbola
  4. A constrained extremum
  5. Tangency as a double-root condition
  6. Completing the square
  7. A wider frame
  8. Tangency as multiplicity
Feb
12
Feb
2022
N-20220212Curves and Structures16 sections

Riemann Surfaces as One-Dimensional Complex Manifolds

Contents preview
  1. Structure beyond topology
  2. From smooth structure to complex structure
  3. Definition of a Riemann surface
  4. Examples
  5. Holomorphic maps between Riemann surfaces
  6. Meromorphic functions as maps to the sphere
  7. Degree and multiplicity
  8. Local power form is not global
05
Feb
2022
N-20220205Sets and Foundations12 sections

A First Comparison of ZFC, NBG, KM, and New Foundations

Contents preview
  1. Why there are several axiomatizations of set theory
  2. The main systems
  3. ZFC
  4. NBG
  5. Kelley–Morse set theory
  6. New Foundations
  7. How to compare the systems
  8. What remains unclear
Jan
31
Jan
2022
N-20220131Sets and Foundations13 sections

Rethinking Set Theory Through Functions Rather Than Membership

Contents preview
  1. Why this translation/note matters
  2. The discomfort with ZFC
  3. Three misunderstandings about ETCS
  4. Elements as special functions
  5. The informal ETCS-style principles
  6. Subsets via characteristic functions
  7. Products, exponentials, and inverse images
  8. Choice as right inverses
23
Jan
2022
N-20220123Arithmetic Geometry17 sections

From Algebraic Number Theory to the First Shadow of Langlands

Contents preview
  1. Why this note starts with algebraic number theory
  2. Number fields and algebraic integers
  3. Ideals and factorization
  4. Quadratic fields and class number
  5. First understanding of Langlands
  6. Local and global correspondences
  7. Cross-field intuitions
  8. Numerical experiments

2021

Oct
07
Oct
2021
N-20211007Arithmetic Geometry11 sections

From Diophantine Inequalities to Arithmetic Deformation

Contents preview
  1. The question is an inequality, not a slogan
  2. A first chain of rigidity results
  3. From Mordell finiteness to effective inequalities
  4. The Szpiro inequality as a concrete target
  5. Vojta's inequality and the hyperbolic curve viewpoint
  6. Arithmetic fundamental groups
  7. The local elliptic curve model: Tate curves and q-parameters
  8. Normalised degree as log-volume
Aug
06
Aug
2021
N-20210806Topology and Homotopy9 sections

Group Actions, Homotopy, and a Rough Road to the Hopf Fibration

Contents preview
  1. Purpose of the note
  2. Group actions
  3. Homotopy
  4. Cofibrations, fibrations, and deformation retracts
  5. Spheres and homotopy groups
  6. The Hopf fibration
  7. References to return to
  8. Group actions as symmetry bookkeeping
04
Aug
2021
N-20210804Categories and Logic11 sections

Boolean Algebras, Boolean Rings, and the First Hint of Stone Duality

Contents preview
  1. Boolean algebra beyond computing
  2. A first definition via Heyting algebras
  3. A small amount of algebra
  4. Boolean rings
  5. Examples of Boolean rings
  6. Boolean algebras directly
  7. Moving between the two structures
  8. The logical shadow
Jul
21
Jul
2021
N-20210721Categories and Logic11 sections

A Gateway to Dualities: Space, Algebra, and the Dualizing Object

Contents preview
  1. Starting point
  2. The table is not a list
  3. The dualizing object
  4. Stone duality as the first complete example
  5. What Stone duality says in one sentence
  6. Gelfand duality as a continuous analogue
  7. Affine schemes and the affine line
  8. Locales and the Sierpi'nski space
Jun
21
Jun
2021
N-20210621Linear Algebra14 sections

Prop Presentations for Linear Algebra: Diagrams, Matrices, and Relations

Contents preview
  1. First orientation
  2. Props as typed wiring diagrams
  3. The alphabet: copy, discard, add, zero, and scalars
  4. Two colours: a comonoid and a monoid
  5. The bialgebra law
  6. Scalars as ring operations
  7. How a matrix becomes a diagram
  8. Completeness: a proof system for matrices
Feb
07
Feb
2021
N-20210207Sets and Foundations8 sections

Choice, Well-Ordering, and the Arithmetic of Cardinal Size

Contents preview
  1. Choice enters the story
  2. Partially ordered sets
  3. Well-ordering
  4. Equipollence and cardinal numbers
  5. Cantor's theorem
  6. Comparing cardinals
  7. Infinite cardinals and finite disturbance
  8. Concrete encodings behind the arithmetic
06
Feb
2021
N-20210206Sets and Foundations6 sections

Relations, Products, and the First Appearance of Universal Properties

Contents preview
  1. Relations and equivalence classes
  2. Partitions
  3. Indexed products and projections
  4. The first universal property
  5. Integers and induction
  6. Division, gcd, and congruence
04
Feb
2021
N-20210204Sets and Foundations7 sections

Sets, Classes, and the First Warnings About Size

Contents preview
  1. Why classes enter before functions
  2. Russell's class as the first warning
  3. Power sets and indexed families
  4. Set identities
  5. Images, inverse images, and functions
  6. One-sided inverses
  7. Set-level bookkeeping behind functions