true summits of mathematical study

[keannu]

This "study" sometimes refers to general "activity of learning" for normal highschoolers or collegiates or "detailed examination" for scholars like professors or scientists. How can we tell the two? Just by context? I think in this case it means the former.

gu94)The traditional mathematics curricula we see in schools begin by establishing skills in arithmetic and algebra and lead up to a single point : calculus...While it's not doubt an important subject, I would like to suggest that probability and statistics are in fact the true summits of mathematical study...

 

[Raymott]

This "study" sometimes refers to general "activity of learning" for normal highschoolers or collegiates or "detailed examination" for scholars like professors or scientists. How can we tell the two? Just by context? I think in this case it means the former.

gu94)The traditional mathematics curricula we see in schools begin by establishing skills in arithmetic and algebra and lead up to a single point : calculus...While it's not doubt an important subject, I would like to suggest that probability and statistics are in fact the true summits of mathematical study...

I don't see why it's necessary to confine the meaning to one of those arbitrary definitions, though I doubt whether the summits of a discipline are reached by school kids.

 

[keannu]

You mean you lean to "detailed examination" judging from "true summits"?

 

[5jj]

I don't see why it's necessary to confine the meaning to one of those arbitrary definitions

I think this response would be appropriate for many of your questions, keannu.

As I have said before, you often try to pin a word down to dictionary definitions that may not precisely apply in a particular context.

Dictionaries attempt to identify possible shades of meaning that a word may carry. When speakers actually produce a word, they are not usually thinking of one particular shade of meaning.