If you can’t explain something in simple terms, you don’t understand it

Re:If you can’t explain something in simple terms, you don’t... by throwaway3535 on Thursday June 15, 2017 @09:47PM (#14566043)

> You wrote down some string of characters and showed that it can be derived from some other strings of characters by applying a series of arbitrary-looking rules.

At this point it's turtles all the way down.

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Re:If you can’t explain something in simple terms, you don’t... by paulddraper on Friday June 16, 2017 @07:50AM (#14568120)

Yep :D

You have to arbitrarily decide where to end: typical 5-year-old, typical high-school student, typical math professor.

What people mean by "simple terms" is "simple terms that I understand".

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Re:If you can’t explain something in simple terms, you don’t... by xg15 on Friday June 16, 2017 @02:23AM (#14567015)

No.

That's what it looks like if you only look at the formula. (And why I'd say that formulas are not an "objectively simple way of expressing something*)

If you can somehow keep in mind what the formula is supposed to represent, the operations on characters will let you find some insight about that thing and will stop standing only for itself.

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Re:If you can’t explain something in simple terms, you don’t... by Qwertious on Friday June 16, 2017 @09:57AM (#14568987)

The point is that the term "simple" is inherently subjective - there are plenty of concepts that are simple and intuitive once learned, but are hard to learn.

Also, mathematical formulas are essentially a different language. If people don't speak it, then it's a moot point.

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