Stanford Lecture: Mathematical Writing - Computer aids to writing

TL;DR

A professor discusses computer programs that analyze writing style and their usefulness in identifying errors and suggesting improvements.

Transcript

greetings I thought I would start out today rewarding the people who come on time with another treat you get to vote wow okay uh well before anybody else comes in uh I'm going to allow you to vote on when you want the term papers to be due now you thought this you do everything democratically in this Society so you have a choice you can vote for ei... Read More

Key Insights

• 🙈 The professor values student involvement and democratic decision-making, as seen in the voting for term paper due dates.
• ✍️ Computer programs like style and diction can provide helpful feedback on writing style and offer alternative perspectives.
• 💦 Different literary works, including the professor's own writing, can be analyzed by these programs to evaluate readability, sentence structure, and word usage.
• 😑 Some phrases, like "assuming that" or "in terms of," can be improved through the use of alternative words or expressions.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why did the professor allow students to vote on the due date for term papers?

The professor wanted to give students a sense of democracy and involvement in decision-making, even for something as mundane as paper due dates.

Q: What are style and diction programs used for?

Style and diction programs analyze writing to provide feedback on readability, sentence structure, word usage, and other factors that can improve or weaken the quality of writing.

Q: Are the analyses provided by these programs completely reliable?

The professor acknowledges that the analyses are not perfect and may not always accurately identify issues or suggest improvements. However, they can still offer valuable insights and serve as a tool for self-reflection and reviewing one's writing from a different perspective.

Q: What did the professor's experience with sexism in language use teach him?

The professor shares an example of being quoted in the media for making a statement about sexist language use. He notes that while attitudes towards discussing sensitive topics like sexism have changed, these issues remain important and challenging.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The professor rewards punctual students with the opportunity to vote on the due date for term papers.

• He introduces computer programs that analyze writing style and their limitations, specifically discussing programs called style and diction.

• The professor shares examples of his own writing and other literary works to demonstrate the analyses provided by these programs.