Former researcher at the CNRS, the fifty-style, became entrepreneur, delivers his method to tame maths in a book, fruit of his reflections for twenty years.
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Since January 21, booksellers are embarrassed. Where to store this new book, Mathematica (Seuil, 368 pages, 19.90 euros)? In science, given his title and mathematician author? But why not in personal development, on the faith of his subtitle: “an adventure in the heart of ourselves”? Or in sport, since it is often a question of kung-fu, martial art or yoga, audaciously compared to maths? Unless they make the decision, probably not so crazy, after reading it, to put it in the head of gondola, with the bestsellers or future success?
This dilemma summarizes the originality and relevance of the remarks developed by David Bessis in this book, which promises to tell otherwise maths and, incidentally, to reveal the secrets of a method so that everyone becomes strong in this matter. Even unveil the mysteries of thought. Just that. “Being good in maths, it’s not an exceptional, but universal story. We all have this ability in us. And it is annoying to see that we do not explain it to us”, Slice David Bessis, just 50 years old, happy to give birth after twenty years of “gestation” of his reflections.
As his method holds in three points, it would be tempting to deliver it abruptly. But it can also be told by describing the four codes that have allowed his elaboration during the life of his author. Although not coming from a scientific environment, David Bessis willingly concentrated in math facilities. But the first revelation is only 18 years old, on the banks of his preparation in Louis-le-Grand, in Paris. It realizes that his brain creates mental images of geometric objects that he studies. And they are false! As when a child forgets his arms on his first design of man.
He then has the choice. Renouncing these images and learn what they are taught by chasing these false intuitions. Or, on the contrary, accept them, distort them, up to understand why they are false. He calls it “to be listening to the dissonance between intuition and logic”, and it is in this ping-pong that it has progressed and especially taken pleasure.
Play with Cerebral plasticity
If it allowed him to succeed his schooling, to enter the Normal School of more than 19 years and start a thesis, it was not enough to become a good mathematician, who must imagine and create. Then, second click, it becomes aware that he can “hack his brain” by trusting cerebral plasticity, that is, the possibility of creating new connections. It is for him a new lesson: to make the bet of infinite plasticity and that “hidden modes of the brain” are achievable. “We are all syntests or one can become”, supports the one who, bounded in his usual coffee, explains “associating”, making a gesture outward, the day of Monday to a corner of the square, on Tuesday to a Other behind, Wednesday to a space still a little further.
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