The Universal Parabolic Constant, often denoted by the symbol \( p \), is a mathematical constant defined as the ratio of the length of a parabola's arc segment to the length of its vertical projection. More specifically, for a parabola described by the equation \( y = x^2 \), the constant is derived from the comparison between the arc length of the curve and the distance along the vertical from the origin to a given point on the parabola.
Academia is broken by Ciro Santilli 37 Updated 2025-07-16
Sometimes Ciro Santilli regrets not having done a PhD. But this section makes him feel better about himself. To be fair, part of the merit is on him, part of the reason he didn't move on was the strong odour of bullshit oozing down to Masters level. A good PhH might have opened interesting job opportunities however, given that you don't really learn anything useful before that point in your education.
twitter.com/togelius/status/1584611702691483648:
The "real world" is full of people who couldn't make it in academia.
Video 1.
I failed in academia by Andy Stapleton (2021)
Source.
Video 2.
6 Dirty Tactics Found In Academia & Universities by Andy Stapleton (2022)
Source.
Video 3.
Rise to the Top: The Habits and Mindset of Top 0.1% PhD Students by Andy Stapleton (2023)
. Source.
Figure 1.
Profzi scheme by PhD Comics
.
A Ponzi scheme that trains people in new skills is not necessarily a terrible thing. It is a somewhat more useful version than standard exam based education.
Perhaps the problem is "forcing" 35 year olds to go down that path when they might also want to have boring stuff like families and security.
If people could get to the PhD level much, much sooner, it wouldn't be as obscene: Section "Students must be allowed to progress as fast as they want".
Video 4.
The broken system at the heart of Academia by Peter Judo (2023)
. Source.
Video 5.
My dream died, and now I'm here by Sabine Hossenfelder (2024)
. Source.
Video 6.
I left academia. Here's why. by Jared Henderson
. Source.
Plate notation is a visual representation used in statistical modeling and graphical models, particularly in the fields of Bayesian statistics and machine learning. It provides a compact way to illustrate complex models, including the relationships among various random variables, parameters, and data structures. In plate notation, diagrams represent different components of a model, such as: - **Random variables**: Represented usually by circles or ovals. - **Parameters**: Often denoted by rectangles or squares.
A chamfered dodecahedron is a geometric shape that is derived from a regular dodecahedron, which is a polyhedron composed of 12 regular pentagonal faces. The term "chamfered" refers to the process of truncating or beveling the vertices of the dodecahedron, resulting in a new shape.
Decimal representation refers to the way numbers are expressed in base 10, which is the standard numbering system used in everyday life. In this system, the digits range from 0 to 9. Each digit's position in a number represents a power of 10, which determines its value.
Infix notation is a common way of writing expressions in mathematics and computer programming where operators are placed between their operands. This is the standard notation that most people are familiar with. For example, in the expression: ``` A + B ``` the `+` operator is placed between the operands `A` and `B`.
Financial risk management is the process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that could adversely affect an organization's financial health. It involves the implementation of strategies, policies, and tools designed to understand and control various types of financial risk, including: 1. **Market Risk**: This refers to the risk of losses due to changes in market prices, such as interest rates, foreign exchange rates, and equity prices. Market risk can be broken down further into interest rate risk, currency risk, and equity risk.
Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols is a Unicode block that includes a range of characters used primarily in mathematical contexts, such as variables and mathematical notation. The block encompasses various symbols, letters, and numbers in different styles, allowing for the representation of mathematical concepts in a visually distinct manner. ### Key Highlights of Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols: 1. **Characters Included**: This block contains characters like bold, italic, script, and fraktur letters, as well as digits styled in various ways.
Symbolic language in mathematics refers to the use of symbols and notation to represent mathematical concepts, relationships, operations, and structures. This language allows mathematicians to communicate complex ideas succinctly and clearly. The use of symbols facilitates the formulation of theories, the manipulation of equations, and the representation of abstract concepts in a standardized way. Here are some key aspects of symbolic language in mathematics: 1. **Symbols and Notation**: Mathematical symbols (e.g.
Proof by intimidation is a type of argument or reasoning where someone tries to convince others of the validity of a statement or idea not through logical proof or evidence, but by using authority, confidence, or the specter of intimidation. Essentially, the person making the claim uses their position, personality, or aggressive demeanor to pressure others into accepting their assertion without critically examining it.
"Proof without words" refers to a type of mathematical argument that conveys a proof or a mathematical result using visual reasoning or intuition rather than formal written explanations or symbolic manipulation. These proofs often employ diagrams, geometrical representations, or other visual aids to communicate a concept effectively. One common example is using geometric figures to show that the area of a shape is equal to another shape, such as demonstrating the Pythagorean theorem through a visual arrangement of squares on the sides of a right triangle.
Q.E.D. is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase "quod erat demonstrandum," which translates to "which was to be demonstrated" or "which was to be proved." It is often used at the end of mathematical proofs or philosophical arguments to indicate that the proof is complete and has successfully established the proposition that was intended to be demonstrated. The phrase has a long history in mathematics and logic, serving as a formal way to conclude an argument or proof.
Symbols of grouping are mathematical notation used to organize and prioritize operations within expressions. The primary symbols of grouping are: 1. **Parentheses `( )`**: The most commonly used symbols for grouping. Expressions within parentheses are evaluated first. For example, in the expression \( 3 \times (2 + 5) \), the operation inside the parentheses, \( 2 + 5 \), is performed first.
The Millennium Mathematics Project (MMP) is an initiative based in the UK that aims to promote mathematics education and increase public understanding of mathematics. It was launched by the University of Cambridge in 1999. The project encompasses a variety of activities and resources designed for different audiences, including school students, teachers, and the general public.
The list of probabilistic proofs of non-probabilistic theorems includes various mathematical results that have been shown to hold true through probabilistic methods, even if they are not inherently probabilistic in nature. These proofs often use random processes or probabilistic techniques as tools to establish the truth of deterministic statements. Here are some notable examples: 1. **Probabilistic Method**: The general strategy of using probability theory to prove the existence of a combinatorial structure with certain properties.
A mathematician is someone who is professionally engaged in the field of mathematics, which is the study of numbers, quantities, structures, spaces, and the relationships between them. Mathematicians can work in various areas, including pure mathematics (theoretical aspects that explore mathematical concepts and ideas for their own sake) and applied mathematics (using mathematical theories and techniques to solve practical problems in fields such as engineering, physics, economics, biology, and computer science).
Mathematics education refers to the practice of teaching and learning mathematics, encompassing the methods, curriculum, and pedagogical approaches used to impart mathematical knowledge and skills to students at various levels of education. It spans from early childhood education through K-12 schooling and into higher education and adult education.

Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project

Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
We have two killer features:
  1. topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculus
    Articles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
    • a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
    • a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
    This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.
    Figure 1.
    Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page
    . View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivative
  2. local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:
    This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
    Figure 2.
    You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either https://OurBigBook.com or as a static website
    .
    Figure 3.
    Visual Studio Code extension installation
    .
    Figure 4.
    Visual Studio Code extension tree navigation
    .
    Figure 5.
    Web editor
    . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally.
    Video 3.
    Edit locally and publish demo
    . Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension.
    Video 4.
    OurBigBook Visual Studio Code extension editing and navigation demo
    . Source.
  3. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook-media/master/feature/x/hilbert-space-arrow.png
  4. Infinitely deep tables of contents:
    Figure 6.
    Dynamic article tree with infinitely deep table of contents
    .
    Descendant pages can also show up as toplevel e.g.: ourbigbook.com/cirosantilli/chordate-subclade
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact