Questions tagged [intuition]

Questions asking for the intuition behind some definition, conjecture, proof etc. In other words, questions designed to improve or to acquire understanding on a conceptual or intuitive level, as opposed to on a technical or formal level. When asking such a question it can be helpful to include a rough description of ones understanding of the subject at hand (on a technical level).

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Posets as (0,1)-categories

I am reading on the nLab that a poset can be seen as a (0,1)-category. I was assuming all along that an ($n$,$r$)-category were a category where all morphisms of order larger than $n$ are trivial. ...
86 votes
9 answers
13k views

Why should I believe the Mordell Conjecture?

It was Faltings who first proved in 1983 the Mordell conjecture, that a curve of genus 2 or more over a number field has only finitely many rational points. I am interested to know why Mordell and ...
-1 votes
1 answer
309 views

Tarski-Grothendieck in the cumulative hierarchy

How can the Grothendieck-Tarski axiom seen to be true in the cumulative hierarchy of sets? What are intuitions that would convince us that this axiom is true?
10 votes
4 answers
2k views

How to solve Ax=b incrementally ?

Hi, everyone. What I am struggling is the following problem. I have a linear matrix equation $Ax=b$, where $A$ is a known $n \times n$ large sparse real matrix, $x$ and $b$ are known $n \times 1$ ...
5 votes
1 answer
333 views

Decoding a Remark of Gödel on Complexity Theory

In Gödel's Collected Works (Vol 2), there is a discussion of von Neumann which was brought about by a query, made to Gödel, concerning the existence of a Turing machine which is so complex that its ...
17 votes
3 answers
3k views

Is there a way to graphically imagine smash product of two topological spaces?

Recently I've been reading "Topology" by Klaus Janich. I find this book very entertaining as it contains lots of graphical illustrations that appeal to my "geometrical" imagination. In paragraph 3.6 ...
11 votes
1 answer
3k views

Mochizuki's Gaussian Integral Analogy

In his latest 115-page overview, Mochizuki spends some time explaining "alien copies" by the analogue of evaluating the Gaussian integral by squaring it and introducing a second variable/dimension. In ...
47 votes
6 answers
11k views

Intuition for Integral Transforms

It is well known that the operations of differentiation and integration are reduced to multiplication and division after being transformed by an integral transform (like e.g. Fourier or Laplace ...
4 votes
0 answers
535 views

Intuition: Smooth functions on Banach Spaces

On finite-dimensional vector spaces, we all have a reasonable idea of which functions are likely to be $C^1$ or smooth. When it comes to differentiation on Banach spaces, I find that my `intuition' ...
6 votes
1 answer
530 views

mapping class group relations

The question I want to ask is vague in a sense. We have examples of mapping class relations, e.g. lantern relation, chain relations, etc. For instance the latern relation on a disk with three boundary ...
1 vote
0 answers
94 views

How quickly can we mutliply Cayley-Dickson hypercomplexes?

Assuming that all of the coordinates of two Cayley-Dickson Hypercomplex numbers are non-negative integers less than a prime $p$, how quickly can we multiply these numbers? I'm also interested in what ...
-4 votes
2 answers
415 views

If mathematics is logic and intuition, then [closed]

I am just wondering why Mathematics is often defined as The study of Structures, Logic and Numbers which I can concur with but still retain various questions in mind. I am a postgraduate student of ...
6 votes
4 answers
2k views

What is the intuition of connections for cubical sets?

I am beggining to do some work with cubical sets and thought that I should have an understanding of various extra structures that one may put on cubical sets (for purposes of this question, ...
4 votes
0 answers
133 views

Intuition for universal quotient maps

The universal quotient maps are precisely the descent morphisms in the category of topological spaces. In some papers of Janelidze, Tholen, Sobral, and Reiterman (see for instance Reiterman-Tholen), ...
6 votes
1 answer
380 views

Norm vs A-norm in non-Archimedean Functional Analysis

Let $K =(K,| \cdot |)$ be a non-Archimedean valued field. Let $E$ be a $K$-vector space. A norm on $E$ is a map $||\cdot||:E\to[0,\infty)$ such that: $||x||=0$ if and only if $x=0$, $||\lambda x||=|...
1 vote
0 answers
187 views

Is $n+\frac {1}{2}$ in Kendall-Mann numbers and quantum harmonic oscillator related?

It is known that quantum harmonic oscillator is connected to the symmetric group of infinite order which is isomorphic to the permutation group. According to Cayley's theorem any finite group is ...
4 votes
1 answer
761 views

Free operads and trees

I am currently working in my PhD thesis, and it became necessary to understand some facts about free symmetric operads. Hence I started to study this subject by myself, following Kapranov & ...
2 votes
0 answers
66 views

A proper class for smooth chaotic function

This might be a little, soft, but I'll try Consider the interval $I=[-1,1]$. We will define a chaotic function $f:\mathbb{R}_+ \times I \to \mathbb{C}$ in the following traditional way: For every $...
1 vote
0 answers
346 views

The application of recursive SVD [closed]

Given an n*m matrix A, the SVD decomposition of A is ${\rm SVD}(A)$= $USV^t$. The application of SVD to the product of U and S gives as a result the same matrices multiplied by the identity matrix, i....
34 votes
1 answer
3k views

Does the Pfaffian have a geometric meaning?

While reviewing the proof of Gauss-Bonnet in John Lee's book, I noticed the following paragraph: " ...In a certain sense, this might be considered a very satisfactory generalization of Gauss-Bonnet. ...
12 votes
3 answers
3k views

The localization of a regular local ring is regular

I've heard, as I'm sure many have, that the theorem that the localization of a regular local ring at any prime ideal is regular is one of the first major applications of homological methods to pure ...
31 votes
4 answers
2k views

Expert, Intuitive, Organizing Analogies

In learning a new area it is very helpful to have high-level intuitive analogies that keep track of the various parts of an important argument or strategy. Experts have a store of such things, and ...
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Generalization of join of simplicial complexes

The join of two abstract simplicial complexes $K$ and $L$, denoted $K\star L$ is defined as a simplicial complex on the base set $V(K)\dot{\cup} V(L)$ whose simplices are disjoint union of simplices ...
4 votes
1 answer
311 views

Isomorphism classes of differential rank $k$ vectors bundles over $S^q$ [closed]

Could anybody provide a motivated sketch of why the isomorphism classes of the differentiable rank $k$ real vector bundles over the sphere $S^q$ are given by$$\text{Vect}_k(S^q) \simeq \pi_{q - 1}(\...
4 votes
0 answers
363 views

Intuition behind small object argument and cofibrantly generated model categories?

With regards to model categories, what is the intuition behind the small object argument and cofibrantly generated model categories?
13 votes
2 answers
2k views

Intuition/idea behind a proof of the splitting principle?

The splitting principle is as follows. Given a vector bundle $E \to X$ with $X$ compact Hausdorff, there is a compact Hausdorff space $F(E)$ and a map $p: F(E) \to X$ such that the induced map $p^*:...
6 votes
0 answers
128 views

The metric gives the optimal element in a class

In geometry there is plenty of examples in which the following happens: Some elements are considered equivalent, in some topological or algebraic sense We take the quotient The metric is usually not ...
2 votes
0 answers
209 views

Description of the equalizer of $\prod _j R/I_j \rightrightarrows \prod _{i,j}R/(I_i+I_j)$

This is a crosspost of this MSE question. I have asked several questions in an attmept to get a general version of the Chinese remainder theorem without conditions on the ideals which will trivially ...
16 votes
1 answer
1k views

(really) basic intuition for $\mathbb A^1$-homotopy theory

Apologies in advance if this question is inappropriate for MO. I'm trying to read here and there about $\mathbb A^1$-homotopy theory in algebraic geometry. I understand some abstract machinery is ...
47 votes
4 answers
9k views

Why are planar graphs so exceptional?

As compared to classes of graphs embeddable in other surfaces. Some ways in which they're exceptional: Mac Lane's and Whitney's criteria are algebraic characterizations of planar graphs. (Well, ...
31 votes
2 answers
11k views

Intuition of law of iterated logarithm?

Let $X_i$ be iid random variables with $EX_i = 0$ and $Var X_i=1$ and $S_n=X_1+\cdots+X_n$. Then the law of the iterated logarithm says almost everywhere we have $$\limsup_{n\to\infty}\frac{S_n}{\...
17 votes
1 answer
878 views

Axiom of choice as zero dimensionality

In the paper Quantifiers and Sheaves by Lawvere, at the bottom of the second page, the author writes: "... the condition that every epi splits, which geometrically we would call 0-dimensionality ...
22 votes
7 answers
9k views

What is a complex inner product space "really"?

This is an extended re-post of a question that I have asked on MSE not a long time ago. But anyway, it seems more appropriate for MO. To begin with, in a real inner product space we have a geometric ...
3 votes
2 answers
416 views

Quotient rule, differential operator on a localization is well-defined, underlying geometry?

Using the quotient rule, we obtain that the notion of differential operator on a localization is well-defined:$$\mathcal{D}_A(B_f) \cong \mathcal{D}_A(B)_f.$$Here, $B$ is a commutative $A$-algebra, $\...
5 votes
1 answer
435 views

Importance of Ornstein's isomorphism theorem

"Perhaps the most important parts of the Ornstein theory are criteria for determining whether or not a shift or flow is Bernoulli (a Bernoulli shift, $B_{ct}$ , or $B_{t}^{\infty}$) because it allows ...
0 votes
1 answer
3k views

Can one expect the existence of a relevant approach for a proof of the Riemann hypothesis using Mochizuki's theory? [closed]

Next month at Oxford university, there will have the first workshop outside Asia on the Inter-Universal Teichmuller theory of Shinichi Mochizuki: http://www.claymath.org/events/iut-theory-shinichi-...
10 votes
1 answer
530 views

Intuitive reasons for the existence of modular parametrizations

Whenever I encounter anything about modular parametrizations, I have a feeling it is something very unnatural: you have some kind of moduli space and all of a sudden it parametrizes an object ...
10 votes
2 answers
2k views

Lemma 1 from Beilinson's "Coherent Sheaves on $\mathbb{P}^n$ and Problems of Linear Algebra", intuition?

Consider Lemma 1 from Beilinson's paper "Coherent Sheaves on $\mathbb{P}^n$ and Problems of Linear Algebra", as follows. Let $\mathcal{C}$ and $\mathcal{D}$ be triangulated categories, $F: \mathcal{...
26 votes
2 answers
3k views

how do you visualize characteristic class?

For cohomology, there are some equivalent definitions when the object we consider is sufficiently nice. Since I mainly work with algebraic variety, I will restrict the objects I am considering to be ...
23 votes
1 answer
1k views

What motivated Rademacher's contour along the Ford circles?

Apologies if this question isn't suitable for MathOverflow; I posted it on MSE here but it didn't get a response and it felt like it was on the cusp of being suitable for here. After Ramanujan and ...
12 votes
0 answers
446 views

Making the conceptual leap from locales to Grothendieck topologies?

I find the definition for locales and sheaves on locales to be straightforward, but I'm stumbling over the idea of a Grothendieck topology. Is there a nice way to see roughly how the latter ...
5 votes
0 answers
1k views

Importance and intuition of global sections in sheaf cohomology

I am trying to understand why global sections of a sheaf are "important" or interesting objects of study. Perhaps I have too weak of a background to appreciate it (and that is certainly an acceptable ...
18 votes
5 answers
4k views

Understanding moment maps and Lie brackets

I'm trying to learn about moment maps in symplectic topology (suppose our Lie group is $G$ with Lie algebra $\mathfrak g$, acting on the symplectic manifold $(M,\omega)$ by symplectomorphisms). I'm ...
11 votes
3 answers
1k views

Self-Similar Graphs

Many fractals can be generated using and infinite sequence of graphs. For example, Sierpinski's Gasket could be generated by the following sequence of graphs. Many definitions of fractal dimensions (...
10 votes
1 answer
1k views

Intuition behind the Morse inequalities?

Forgive me if this is sort of a vague question, but can someone supply me with their intuition behind the Morse inequalities?
24 votes
1 answer
3k views

Why is there a $\sqrt{5}$ in Hurwitz's Theorem?

Hurwitz's theorem is an extension of Minkowski's Theorem and deals with rational approximations to irrational numbers. The theorem states: For every irrational number $\alpha$, there are infinitely ...
2 votes
0 answers
172 views

Lie group cohomology with coefficients in Lie algebra

I'm looking for a reference, and basic results, about Lie algebra as modules over a Lie group (with the adjoint representation), from the point of view of cohomology. Links with the Lie algebra ...
15 votes
3 answers
2k views

Why does the bitxor function appear in Nim?

I am conducting research in Combinatorial Game Theory (CGT). Although I have done a considerable amount of reading, I do not completely understand why the bit-xor function also known as the nim-sum ...
17 votes
1 answer
7k views

How can we interpret the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of Euclidean Distance Matrices?

I asked this question in Math Stack Exchange earlier here: https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/1199380/what-is-the-intuition-behind-how-can-we-interpret-the-eigenvalues-and-eigenvec and since I ...
19 votes
1 answer
4k views

Why do people use "formal calculation" to describe informal calculations?

Many times, I see the word formal being used to describe a calculation that is not rigorous. I would think that such calculations should rather be termed informal than formal. What is the explanation ...

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