does maths ability have a shelf life?

[Xenophon]

You need to enjoy the stuff - so start gently.
Look up these books on amazon:

The Pleasures of Probability
Forgotten Calculus

They are relatively gently paced and can form the foundation for moving on.

Customers also bought:

"Don't Kill Yourself, People Do Like You. Honest"
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[sasguru]

Customers also bought:

"Don't Kill Yourself, People Do Like You. Honest"
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[TimberWolf]

So does no-one on here agree that learning and understanding stuff just gets easier as you get older?

[sasguru]

Oh I forgot
"Differential Equations Demystified"

[aussielong]

thanks for the tips

i will get on amazon

[expat]

I learned Italian to a reasonable standard at work about 15 years ago. I used to use it regularly and went to Milan and Rome for stints of work. I've kept it on my CV, but I've pretty much forgotten the whole lot due to total lack of practice since I left that job. I've no idea whether it would come back quite quickly or if I'd have to start again from scratch. Terrible waste, but I've really had no occasion to use it for years and years now.

Couldn't do Maths in the first place though, so that's not a problem.

Maths is distinctively more difficult than a language to a reasonable level, and the type of learning and knowledge needed is more demanding. Generally a language comes back quite easily; it can even be easier than before because your mind has grasped more connections in the intervening years.

It has seemed to me for a long time that in maths one tends to remember one whole level of education less than one studied. If a lot of time has passed, it may take a bit of work to get back even to that level.

I have practical experience of this, having recently given tuition to someone for A-level maths: it didn't take long to get up to speed but it did take a bit of brushing up. As for the Honours maths that I once set eyes on, I couldn't be certain of being able to look at an exam paper and name the field, far less pass the paper.

[Xenophon]

Customers who bought eyeliner also bought:

An orange
Stockings
a whip
A Rabbit (no not the pet animal)

[Xenophon]

Oh I forgot
"Differential Equations Demystified"

I can't decide whether that is a wind-up or if there really is a book called that.

[sasguru]

I can't decide whether that is a wind-up or if there really is a book called that.

It sits proudly on my shelf
Anyway us geeks feel sorry for you BB watchers. Never will you experience the satisfaction of understanding some deep insight into the world.

[Moscow Mule]

It sits proudly on my shelf

Is it quite big then?