I knew how the column buckling equations were derived, therefore I knew when they were applicable and when they weren't.

As for checking a reference, I knew that "column buckling" was a thing. Before I studied it, I didn't know the concept even existed, and would have no idea how to look up something I didn't even know existed or what it might be called.

> Do you think memorizing names and dates of people and events from World War I gives much mastery of history?

How are you going to understand WW1 without knowing who Ludendorff was? I know that if you don't know names and dates and events, you cannot have a mastery of history. You don't have any framework to hang analysis or understanding on.

> Or would memorizing the names of standard library functions

Nobody does that. But I will say that if you can't name any of them, I guarantee you don't know squat about C.

> and the academic definition of `pointer` and `recursion` give you much mastery of C?

I wonder how many C experts you know can't answer a question about what a pointer is.