Don’t rob the self-learner that doesn’t have access to TAs, fellow students, and professors the ability to check their work, just because someone else doesn’t have the discipline to not abuse it.
Textbook solutions are good for those that aren’t in school, aren’t in formal programs and have no other way of receiving feedback.
The “you should know if you’re right” mentality doesn’t necessarily fit a person that’s been working for 10-years and has been out of the academic mindset. One that is a beginner and could easily fool themselves into thinking they have a correct answer.
It doesn’t allow for correction of false thinking. Anyone can think their proof is correct. But fewer beginners can properly recognize when they are wrong.
This sort of mentality is a bit elitist and gate keeping.
How is it just a choice of living in a poor area vs a rich one? What if the people living in the poor areas don’t even have a high school degree? Can they suddenly decide they want to work and live in the rich area?
I’m apprecticative of the amount of work and effort you put into the book. Please consider the self-learner and those that don’t have access to solutions, a classmate, a TA, or a professor.
I know you probably don’t want to expose solutions to the exercises so they can be used in a classroom, but for people like me, I don’t want to create an online discussion to every problem I attempt just to check my work.
I prefer to read textbooks that have solutions, so I can know for sure my answers are correct.
I don’t really buy the “you know when your solutions are correct”. The beginner can easily fool themself into thinking their solutions are correct, when they aren’t.
Thanks. I won’t bother buying it then. Do you have any recommendations on good math books to work through on my own that have solutions floating online, so I can check my work? I’m looking for a theoretical math book to work through. Primarily looking for intro to proofs or algebra related books. But anything will do. I just want something proof-y aimed at beginners.
This looks great, but are solutions provided? Books like this are almost worthless for me to self-study since I don’t have access to a classroom or professors and no way to check my solutions.
Easy for you to say as an outsider with a comfortable salaried job. A lot of people in these rural communities aren't educated and live paycheck-to-paycheck. Putting them in larger cities for jobs they aren't qualified and wouldn't be hired for probably isn't the solution.
It isn't mandatory, but it certainly helps when you can pay for private tutors or professional consulatants that craft your application package. Students that tend to score high on SATs tend to come from higher income brackets. It also hurts when you attend a school that doesn't offer an expansive list of AP courses, or if you come from a family that never attended college and do not even know what the college process is like.
Edit: To your "This is patently untrue" comment. Taking AP courses and scoring 5s on the exams is pretty standard for applicants getting into elite colleges. By not taking those courses you are huritng yourself when applying to such places.
There is a lot of talk about elite universities offering full-tuition to those that make under a certain income, but what this ignores is usually you have to be in a certain income bracket to obtain certain SAT, AP scores along with the right ECs and upper division college prep courses. This usually means attending the best private, public, or STEM magnent school in your state, which sadly most families in those income brackets cannot afford. The people getting into these elite schools come from elite secondary schools and the poor people that can't attend these schools are usually excluded from admissions to elite colleges. So the "free tuition" advertisement is nice, but in practice their admissions standards do a good job of keeping such poor folks out.
Has Professor Hinton ever made a known appearance on HN?