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What does it feel like to invent math?

3Blue1Brown · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Recreational & visual mathPure mathematics

What it is

3Blue1Brown explores infinite sums from convergent to divergent, with an introduction to the 2-adic metric, themed on the cycle between discovering and inventing mathematics.

Why Hacker News recommends it

Recommended as a favorite Grant Sanderson video and a visual introduction to p-adic numbers and sums like 1+2+4+...

  • 6 people recommended it
  • 5 different months
  • 2 strong recommendations
  • first 2016, last 2024

What HN commenters said

  1. “I loved this video”

    Explores infinite sums and 2-adic metric as discovery versus invention.

    JoeCamel, 2016-07 · Strong recommendation · in “Does 1+2+3+... Really Equal -1/12?”

  2. “Here are my favorite videos by Grant”

    Shows how one might invent math, walking through mathematician-style questions.

    skadamat, 2017-12 · Strong recommendation · in “Communicating Advanced Mathematics to Kids”

  3. “3lue1brown has a great visualization of constructing p-adic numbers and calculating their metric through the lens of 2-adic numbers”

    Visual construction of p-adic numbers and the 2-adic metric.

    padics, 2021-05 · Recommendation · in “Mathematicians Find Long-Sought Building Blocks for Special Polynomials”

  4. “Great intro”

    Great intro to p-adic numbers and sums like -1.

    piokoch, 2021-05 · Recommendation · in “Mathematicians Find Long-Sought Building Blocks for Special Polynomials”

  5. “for those who want to have a taste of p-adic numbers, see 3b1b's video”

    Taste of p-adic numbers motivating 2-adics.

    krackers, 2023-10 · Recommendation · in “Marvelous Arithmetics of Distance”

  6. “Complete with the customarily excellent visual aides.”

    Meta video showing how p-adics might be invented, with excellent visuals.

    8minfromsol, 2024-10 · Recommendation · in “2-adic numbering for binary tilings”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: 2-adic, infinite series, 3blue1brown, number theory, math invention

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