Week 1: 博士の愛した数式 - The Housekeeper and the Professor 🎓🧮

All of the other weird numbers you can think of exist on the same numberline as the numbers you use to count objects-- negative numbers? You can find them below zero. Fractions/decimals and irrational numbers (like pi)? You can find them between the counting numbers. Infinities? Just stick an arrow on the ends of that number line to point to them. But imaginary numbers are on a different number line, so they are extra much “in the mind,” – I guess only the mind can give them a social status because the numberline, which you can see and use to count, is not their 居場所。

Equations describing real, visible phenomena generate them such that certain properties of the real world have imaginary components (for example, I know that the refractive index of light has an imaginary component), so they’re useful, but most people don’t ever encounter them in the real world.

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On the topic of loc 8,

Based on the context of what comes before and after, I believe the purpose of the sentence is that the professor is getting after his son for wearing the hat and covering the “square root” on top of his head. He does so in this sentence by stating “if you use this” (the square root which he points to) "not only can you obtain limitless and invisible (imaginary?) numbers, but also a good social status (therefore don’t cover the symbol in your head with a hat).

Imaginary number in Japanese is formally 虚数, so I am guessing the author is simply being colorful with language here. I just interpret it as the professor expressing the utility of the square root in mathematics and trying to explain (through the transitive property) that it applies to the real world too. Maybe it is also symbolic that the root is on top of his head since everything under the square root is rooted and therefore become limitless and imaginary or whatever. Lol

Also how do I hide spoilers before I ruin things later on in the discussion haha. This is first page stuff so I did not bother.

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I do think 博士 it’s talking about giving “social status” to the numbers, because of the にも that follows each type of number.. That clearly marks them as the recipient of the verb.

To blur spoilers, click on the gear/settings symbol in the toolbar above the typing box. “Blur spoilers” is one of the options in that drop down menu.

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Just in case anyone is frustrated by simultaneous unfamiliar math and Japanese, factorial (階乗) works like this:
Note: “4 factorial” is written 4! …I’m not indicating excitement, the exclamation mark is a math symbol here.
4! = 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 , which is 24.

(Natural numbers (自然数) are counting numbers)

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4! = 4 \times 3 \times 2 \times 1 = 24

:slight_smile:

(I can’t believe I’m missing all the math!)

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与える is used to represent giving an input to a function in the context of mathematics. So I believe it saying you can give limitless numbers and imaginary numbers as an input to the function root. But since we know the son is root, we can interpret the last part of the sentence as giving a social status to root. Or at least that’s how I’m seeing it right now… Again not completely sure. Very sugary language.

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Speaking of Harry Potter… here again we have a boy whose peculiar scar on his head could give him limitless possibilities.

I’m also reading アズカバンの囚人 right now. In addition to what @Wildjinjer mentioned, compared to Harry Potter, the sentences are longer and use more complex structures with lots of clauses. It means that your brain has to keep track of a lot more information and block it together in the right ways, which is what makes it more challenging for me. (I’m doing a lot of reading during free throws and time-outs while watching the NBA playoffs, and sometimes I can’t even get through a single sentence–they’re so long).

Oh, and for those interested in math, I’m reading through the Feynman Lectures and there’s a really great chapter titled “Algebra,” in which Feynman outlines the basics of math as defining numbers to fill a need to solve increasingly complex equations. You can actually read it for free here: The Feynman Lectures on Physics Vol. I Ch. 22: Algebra.

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If anyone’s interested, in Polish translation, there is no “social status” mentioned. Just (ugh, double translation, but what else can I do):

“If you use this [flat top of the head], it is possible to get to know infinite amount of various numbers, even the invisible ones.”

And it’s also not a proper word for “imaginary numbers”, the translator specifically uses “invisible”.

Edit:

Original translation text

“Dzięki tej przykrywce można poznać nieskończenie wiele różnorodnych liczb, również tych niewidzialnych.”

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Here is my translation of the German translation:

“The root symbol offers a protecting roof over the head of infinitely many numbers. By the way, also those that are no more perceptible to us.”

Summary

“Das Wurzelzeichen bietet unendlich vielen Zahlen ein schützendes Dach über dem Kopf. Übrigens auch solchen, die für uns nicht mehr wahrnehmbar sind.”

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I had a lot of free time due to an unexpected extra holiday (apparently had some vacation time left that would expire at the end of the year :stuck_out_tongue:) and wanted to give an intermediate book a shot. Sadly it seems to still be a bit too far out for me, I’ll be following the threads to pick up any useful words / phrases, but I won’t be joining in the mean time. Will try this book again in a few months!

Oh, thank god, I thought you were reading the Feynman lectures in Japanese. While written incredibly clearly I already had a lot of trouble wrapping my head around the concepts in English (still a lot of stuff I never truly understood), I can’t even begin to imagine doing that in Japanese! I should really bust that bad boy open again some times, I have forgotten SO much that was in there :stuck_out_tongue:

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Around 5%, when the contents of the professor’s wardrobe is described, there is the sentence:
数字製でない文字通りのウールのオーバーが一着
I understand that there is only one coat, but what does the beginning mean? “Literally not made of digits”?

Also the text has twice “ダンス” for wardrobe, but jisho only knows “洋服タンス”.

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I got to another metaphorical chunk in today’s reading…

数字は相手と握手をするために差し出す右手であり、同時に自分の身を保護するオーバーでもあった。

This chunk took a few tries before I realized she was making a metaphor:

a number was the right hand he held out to shake hands with someone, and numbers were also the overcoat he used to feel secure.

上から触っても身体のラインがたどれないくらい分厚くて重く、誰一人脱がせることの不可能オーバーだった。

Still unsure about this one. Here’s what I’ve got:

上から触っても even if touched from above
身体のラインがたどれないくらい to the extent that the
line if the body can’t be followed
分厚くて重く heavy and thick
誰一人脱がせることの不可能なオーバーだった
It was a coat that was impossible for anyone to remove.

I’ve pieced this together as:

It was a coat so heavy and thick that you couldn’t see the line of his body, and it was impossible for anyone to remove.

I have no idea what the 上から触っても part really means, or where it goes in that.

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Everything that goes before オーバー further describes it. 上から触っても, even if you touched it (the metaphorical coat) from on top (of the coat… That is, not inside of it), you couldn’t follow/trace the line of his body.

Putting it into your sentence, ‘it was a coat so heavy and thick that you couldn’t trace the line of his body even if you touched it, and it was impossible for anyone to remove.

This follows the part @Wildjinjer quoted above. So in addition to the metaphorical オーバー described there, the professor also had a real one made of wool.

My dictionary app gives me both 洋服タンス and 洋服ダンス as possible readings/pronunciations. I believe this is a matter of regional and/or personal preference. :thinking:

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Wait, what? My book does not have this line. I have the paper book. Now I wonder what else is not in my book!

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I’m struggling with this sentence
(Page 15, paper):

従って彼は初対面の者に対して抱く遠慮を、毎回律儀に示すことになった。

Specifically, the bolded part. Also is 遠慮を示す a set phrase? I assume it means something like “show restraint.”

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I think I formulated that poorly. It’s not right after the sentence you posted about but maybe about one paper page later. It’s 2 page flips apart on my phone. Maybe you haven’t read that part yet? If so, sorry for spoiling it for you. :pray:

初対面の者に対して抱く modifies 遠慮, with 初対面の者に対して further describing 抱く. The consideration/reserve he holds towards people he meets for the first time.

I don’t think 遠慮を示す is a set phrase as such, but I read it the same way you did.

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I am used to 抱く meaning something more like a physical embrace or hug. Is this abstract usage unusual or common?

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I would say it’s pretty common. Just be careful that in the abstract sense it’s always read as いだく, while for a physical hug you can also say だく.

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Kinda late, but I finally started this book. I should have no problem catching up once the current advanced book is over, though.

Excited to learn all those math terms in Japanese! From this first bit it seems harder/denser than the stuff I’ve been reading lately (maybe since they are light novels?) so it should be a nice challenge.

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So I just discovered this book club and received the book today. Not sure I’ll be able to catch up with how late I’ve started :sweat_smile: but I’ll be reading along!

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