How to read mathematical formulas

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These types of formulas make no sense to me even when i know what they are supposed to represent.

Are people really supposed to be able to look at that formula and know it means, when you add consecutive numbers starting with 1, and the number of numbers you add is odd, the result is equal to the product of the middle number among them times the last number ? Supposedly that is what it means, I dont see how though. Are we supposed to be able to apply that formula to find out what the sum of a string of consecutive numbers is ? Or is this type of formula a deliberately cryptic representation of a simple math so mathemticians can feel all superior about it ?

 
SDC: Are people really supposed to be able to look at that formula and know it means,
yes
double sum=0; for(int i=1; i <= 2 * k + 1; i++) sum += i;
if(sum == (k + 1) * (2*k + 1) ) Print("correct");
 
If you did maths to this level at school then yes, otherwise no, I guess. Just like anything else really. It's a useful notation. I'd rather read that than your English description!
 
If you learned it you know it - its A level maths in England (IIRC) - Age 16-18
 
SDC:

so if I hadnt said what it meant you would still have known to write that code the way you did ?

Of course, but only if you studied this kind of math. Nobody has innate knowledge.


EDIT:

  • Σ (sigma) comes from Greek, it means "the sum of"
  • i is an expression, very simple here
  • lower and upper indice indicates what the limits, sum from i=1 to 2k+1 (step 1 is implied)
  • 2k+1 indicates an odd number
  • (k+1)(2k+1) is a product, in math language multiplication is indicated by . or sometimes by nothing like here
 

Oh yeah ..I remember that 16-18 math, that was while we were playing hookey down at the river fishing, swimming and drinking beer .. :) ahh yes those good ole math lessons

 

alright so you all could tell me what this does just by reading this formula ?

 
SDC:

alright so you all could tell me what this does just by reading this formula ?

Average of a sample data of n value.
 

yes arithmetic mean ... i guess i'll have to study this a little bit and try to figure out how it works. My problem is, if you asked me to code an arithmetic mean i could do it easily enough, but if you showed be that formula and said code this I wouldnt have a clue lol .. Thanks for explaining the Greek symbol I didnt know that means sum of, also i thought that (k+1)(2k+1) always means to multiply ...

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