Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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What's The most advanced math one can do without sight? (self.Blind)
submitted by femboytomboygyboytoy
dieupen 7 points 1y ago
One does not need sight to work through the most advanced mathematics. Math can be broken down into concepts and rules that can be communicated in many ways with no need for visual stimuli. A plethora of mathematical journals/textbooks can be accessed via the internet and made accessible for people without light perception. All math that can be done, can be done without sight.
MostlyBlindGamer 2 points 1y ago
Right, all the journal articles are written in LaTeX anyway.
Davidbrcz -1 points 1y ago
You really think that advanced math (or physics for that matter) can be understood without eyesight ?
You would literally have to parse latex in your mind and build a mental image of what going on, line after line. That sounds insanely hard
You would literally have to parse latex in your mind and build a mental image of what going on, line after line. That sounds insanely hard
CloudyBeep 3 points 1y ago
Braille is a thing, you know?
Davidbrcz 1 points 1y ago
I don't know to what extend braile can handle advanced maths.
But you are telling me that it could handle equations like those
https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/a1d4dcbd99b528c35a1f166e4e60b4c0a77457e3
And that's half of the problem as you need to work equations and calculus yo get a good grip.
But you are telling me that it could handle equations like those
https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/a1d4dcbd99b528c35a1f166e4e60b4c0a77457e3
And that's half of the problem as you need to work equations and calculus yo get a good grip.
CloudyBeep 6 points 1y ago
The braille code for mathematics that has been used in the U.S. ,among other countries, for several decades was developed by a blind mathematician, so I assume it could handle this. It's called the Nemeth code in recognition of its creator, Abraham Nemeth.
Arcane_Panacea 2 points 1y ago
There are tons of blind mathematicians and scientists. Here just a few (taken from Wikipedia) to illustrate:
- **Amy Bower** - American Oceanographer (currently alive)
- **Nils Gustaf Dalén** - Swedish engineer, inventor and Nobel Prize laureate (1869-1937)
- **Leonhard Euler** - Swiss mathematician, physicist, astronomer, geographer, logician and engineer. He founded the studies of graph theory and topology and made significant contributions to the fields of analytic number theory, complex analysis and infinitesimal calculus. He is also responsible for most of our modern-day mathematical notation and he came up with the concept of mathematical functions. (1707-1783).
- **François Huber** - Swiss entemologist (1750-1831)
- **Bernard Morin** - French mathematician (1931-2018)
- **Lev Pontryagin** - Russian (Soviet) mathematician who made major discoveries in fields such as algebraic topology and differential topology. (1908-1988).
- **Nicholas Saunderson** - English mathematician who was held in high esteem by Isaac Newton (1682-1739).
So yeah, I'd say it's possible.
Fun fact: there are also blind doctors. Not many, but there are a few.
- **Amy Bower** - American Oceanographer (currently alive)
- **Nils Gustaf Dalén** - Swedish engineer, inventor and Nobel Prize laureate (1869-1937)
- **Leonhard Euler** - Swiss mathematician, physicist, astronomer, geographer, logician and engineer. He founded the studies of graph theory and topology and made significant contributions to the fields of analytic number theory, complex analysis and infinitesimal calculus. He is also responsible for most of our modern-day mathematical notation and he came up with the concept of mathematical functions. (1707-1783).
- **François Huber** - Swiss entemologist (1750-1831)
- **Bernard Morin** - French mathematician (1931-2018)
- **Lev Pontryagin** - Russian (Soviet) mathematician who made major discoveries in fields such as algebraic topology and differential topology. (1908-1988).
- **Nicholas Saunderson** - English mathematician who was held in high esteem by Isaac Newton (1682-1739).
So yeah, I'd say it's possible.
Fun fact: there are also blind doctors. Not many, but there are a few.
dieupen 2 points 1y ago
I absolutely do. People with visual impairments live in a world made for people with typical vision and that is insanely hard. With the appropriate guidance, accommodations, and support visually impaired people have repeatedly proven they will overcome and outperform
Throwaway1588442 1 points 1y ago
I do programming, latex is simple in comparison
[deleted] 1 points 1y ago
[deleted]
Throwaway1588442 1 points 1y ago
Latex is pretty much just HTML for math though
Davidbrcz 1 points 1y ago
I have the intuition that software development is more accessible but harder.
[deleted] 1 points 1y ago
[deleted]
Throwaway1588442 1 points 1y ago
Latex is just HTML for math pretty much
Tarnagona 1 points 1y ago
I saw a scholarship applicant going into grad school for advanced maths who used LaTeX to make the equations accessible. So I’d say yes, yes you can do advanced maths via LaTeX code.
OldManOnFire 3 points 1y ago
Before losing my vision I used to teach algebra and first semester calculus at the local community college.
Classic geometry and trig are visually intensive. A blind student would be at a disadvantage doing them.
and matrix theory lie somewhere in the middle. Eyesight helps but isn't as necessary.
Real number analysis, anything modulo, Tensor equations, and anything theoretical like Cantor or non-Euclidean geometry don't require eyesight. A blind student could do just as well as a sighted student in those fields of study. It's impossible to visualize infinity anyway, so any field concerning itself with infinitely large or infinitely small numbers is a field where a blind mathematician is at no disadvantage at all.
Classic geometry and trig are visually intensive. A blind student would be at a disadvantage doing them.
and matrix theory lie somewhere in the middle. Eyesight helps but isn't as necessary.
Real number analysis, anything modulo, Tensor equations, and anything theoretical like Cantor or non-Euclidean geometry don't require eyesight. A blind student could do just as well as a sighted student in those fields of study. It's impossible to visualize infinity anyway, so any field concerning itself with infinitely large or infinitely small numbers is a field where a blind mathematician is at no disadvantage at all.
Shadowwynd 2 points 1y ago
As far as I know the sky is the limit. Graphics can certainly help make advanced concepts clear, but they are still just visual aids - and graphics start falling short when you get past three dimensions anyway. It is certainly more difficult without sight, but by no means impossible. I have met blind EE and CS majors who used very advanced mathematics.
oncenightvaler 2 points 1y ago
I don't know much geometry or trigonometry, but I like algebra, and probability maths.
divgirlarb 1 points 1y ago
I know there was a blind maths PhD student at my uni.
JosephSeabourne 1 points 1y ago
As advanced as a sighted person can pretty much. Just might take a bit longer for some things.
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