Learning math with LLMs: ask how the insight was first discovered, then link to what you know
doodlestein · x · 2026-09-09
Math educator doodlestein shares a two-step technique for learning math with LLMs:
- Feign (or just have) ignorance and ask how a human might have stumbled upon the insight originally, without already knowing it — emphasizing intuition over conclusions. He demos it with Galois Theory with good results.
- Then explicitly ask the model to relate that explanation to something you're already familiar with — e.g., mapping the new concept onto quadratic and cubic equations.
The core idea: turn the LLM from an answer machine into a guide that reconstructs the discovery path, anchoring new knowledge with analogies.
Related event: Trick for Learning Math with LLMs: Ask How Humans First Discovered It(2 posts)→
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