Comfort Math?

[sythyry]

[OOC rowyn gave me an icon of Feralan and hCevian!  So, as promised, they will chat. -bb]

I am hCevian writing this.

When I am upset, I generally think about hyperbolic geometry to calm down.  When Feralan is upset, he often contemplates arithmetic or polynomial sequences of numbers. 

What kind of mathematics do you find most comforting?  Or, if not mathematics, what other thoughts comfort you when you are downcast or distressed?

Comments

[shaterri.livejournal.com]

I must say that I too have given some thought to hyperbolic geometry when I'm worked up! It has long been a fascination of mine and I have several particular nooks that I've explored, particularly some pentagonal-chessboard games.

I often like to go into a sort of 'fugue state' with mathematics, studying subjects that are just at the edge of my comprehension, less for understanding than to simply let the words and the concepts flow over me. Generally when I do it's some form of deeply abstract, foundational mathematics; large-cardinals, model theory, recursion theory, and the like...

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

There is nothing abstract about large cardinals! Where do you live, man?