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Elminster, like most powerful wizards, has become VERY good at focusing his attention (concentration, bringing will to bear). He can count readily into the hundreds (basic arithmetic) and do basic geometry.
However, he knows nothing of equations, quadratics, ...
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@TheEdVerse I was surprised to read that Elminster isn't very good at math. Does that mean magic isn't really comparable to arithmetic in how one actually learns and practices it? I see it compared to programming a lot. Is there a more accurate comparison to draw in your view?
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...and the like, as such things have never been developed in the Realms as we have in the "real world." Realms engineers (dwarves, gnomes, et al) focus on strengths of materials, stresses and strains, buttresses and support props, not "the imaginary language of...
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...mathematics."
I see comparisons between magic and programming asfolks (who of course can't wield magic, in real life) trying to equate them in terms of concentration, and visualizing concepts in the mind. Success at both requires both, but they aren't the same thing.
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I'm sorry, but that's ridiculous, Ed! Even the ancient Greeks and Chinese and other cultures from 2,000 years ago had mathematics beyond that. Surely, with how well-traveled El is and how long his life has been, he would've taken the time to learn?
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Yes, you're missing that Toril has DIFFERENT math from our real world (math is a language, not an absolute), and that El has never had to learn it. ;}
Merchants deal in weight and volume and margins and return, none of which requires "our" specific algebra.
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Jan 5, 2024 · 2:01 AM UTC
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