Math And Fountain Pens

[CalvaryMaid]

Does anyone else do math with a fountain pen? As was the case with penmanship, I hated math in school and didn't study it once I wasn't forced to in school. When I got into fountain pens last year, I read a post here that said that kids in some European countries (probably Germany and/or France, I don't remember which) used fountain pens for math. That inspired me to renew my math studies and to do it using fountain pens exclusively. When I make a mistake, I just cross it out. Sometimes the crossed out parts contain the seeds of the right answer. It's actually neater than using pencil, because when I use a pencil, I press really hard, and the marks don't erase well. I feel that my fountain pen hobby is helping me to explore other interests that I would not have considered before.

[engineerboy]

Happy New Year!

 

I use fine nibbed FP's for all my engineering calculations and concept sketching. Obviously, pencils make more sense for sketching things that you need to erase. But, I like the line width variation I can get with a flex nib.

 

There is a line of thought about using ink versus pencil for calculations. Where one has pages of calculations such as when doing differential equations and other complicated problem solving, I can tell you from experience there were many times, I erased lines and lines of work, thinking I had done it wrong, only to find that those sections of calculations were not in error! With pen, you would strike it out and start another page. If you found a possible flaw in your work, at least you could use if for reference.

 

BTW, I received your Christmas card, thank you! I got so backed up with the end of the year stuff with the business, that I've gotten behind on my letter writing.

 

Have a fantastic new year!

 

Steve

[bernardo]

I do it all the time!

 

[WhiskeyMan]

Yes- Everything with a fountain pen.

[moylek]

I'm a systems analyst working with and amongst mathematicians (at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario). I got used to being the only person in the room using a fountain pen over twenty years ago, when I first started working at the university. So it was a bit surprising to move into my new office in the math building and find myself only one of many fountain pen users - and particularly odd I thought since I, too, associated math with pencils and erasers.

 

So, to answer your question: if the mathematicians I work with may be judged as good exemplars then, yes, you can do math with a fountain pen.

[Cubane]

I've done math with a fountain pen since I first got one in second grade. We had a rule that pencils were for drawing only, everything else was supposed to be done in pen - interesting how these things are handled differently in different countries!

 

I don't usually try to get a perfect solution at the first try but just play around with different ideas and talk to my equations for a few pages before writing them down neatly. As things get more complicated, there are often multiple ways to approach a certain problem, so it's nice to have a few in reserve in case the first one doesn't work out.

[thang1thang2]

My math teacher refuses to grade work if I write it in pen.

[Tez]

My math teacher refuses to grade work if I write it in pen.

This was my math prof this past term -- pencil or no go. I would have preferred doing all my work in some fabulous shade of purple.

[Cubane]

My math teacher refuses to grade work if I write it in pen.

This was my math prof this past term -- pencil or no go. I would have preferred doing all my work in some fabulous shade of purple.

 

 

That'd be awesome. Math is so much more fun in a colour!

I've had a TA refuse a part of my work once because it WAS in pencil :blink: Apparently, we must use some form of blue or black ink instead so we can't tinker with our results after we get them back. (I wonder if I could use the MB Einstein ink for finals this term and pass it off as "light black"... )

[notVirtuThe3rd]

I do it all the time!

 

 

Beautiful!!!

[reval]

Since I used fountain pens at school and university, and my courses included a lot of math and sciences: yes. For drawing graphs I used mostly pencils though. Although fountain pen users were in the minority, fountain pen use was certainly not rare at my university. This was in the 1990s and in the Netherlands.

[Lisya72]

Absolutely. I don't take tests with it because they require a pencil, but I did all my homework in fountain pen.

[ModiHammarstedt]

I do all my math and physics with a fountain pen, always one with an italic nib, because nothing is easier on the eyes than seeing calculus in italic! I've gotten many compliments from people who glance at my notes because of this!

[myn]

Well now, I could do math with my fountain pen but no-one would be able to read it for all the corrections. Guess it's a good thing I no longer have to worry about 1 + 1 = 3 By the way Bernardo how on earth did you get such a neat math book. If I tried that it would look like a chicken had walked through it backwards.

 

Sorry to hear that some teachers aren't willing to allow fountain pens - seems to me that if a student can do math with a fountain pen they should go to the head of the class.

[thang1thang2]

Well now, I could do math with my fountain pen but no-one would be able to read it for all the corrections. Guess it's a good thing I no longer have to worry about 1 + 1 = 3 By the way Bernardo how on earth did you get such a neat math book. If I tried that it would look like a chicken had walked through it backwards.

 

Sorry to hear that some teachers aren't willing to allow fountain pens - seems to me that if a student can do math with a fountain pen they should go to the head of the class.

 

My guess: It's either his notes (no work needed) or he has chicken scratchings somewhere else and writes down the final work on there. Or the work is easy enough that he doesn't need to double check that he's writing down the right things.

[moylek]

I do all my math and physics with a fountain pen, always one with an italic nib, because nothing is easier on the eyes than seeing calculus in italic! I've gotten many compliments from people who glance at my notes because of this!

 

Oh, please do let us see some italic calculus. Please?

[fastercat]

I was introduced to fountain pens in college. I did most of my engineering homework with a Parker that is siting next to my computer right now. Although it is waiting for a classic Washable Blue Ink cartridge or a shot from Dr. Ink Needle.

[Doctor Who]

Does anyone else do math with a fountain pen? As was the case with penmanship, I hated math in school and didn't study it once I wasn't forced to in school. When I got into fountain pens last year, I read a post here that said that kids in some European countries (probably Germany and/or France, I don't remember which) used fountain pens for math. That inspired me to renew my math studies and to do it using fountain pens exclusively. When I make a mistake, I just cross it out. Sometimes the crossed out parts contain the seeds of the right answer. It's actually neater than using pencil, because when I use a pencil, I press really hard, and the marks don't erase well. I feel that my fountain pen hobby is helping me to explore other interests that I would not have considered before.

I am very glad to hear that you are pursuing the study of mathematics not out of necessity (so not as part of a school curriculum) but out of inspiration and interest. I am in a somewhat similar situation.

 

In 2007, purely out of interest, I purchased a couple of school mathematics textbooks ("Year 11 Cambridge Mathematics 2-Unit" and "Year 12 Cambridge Mathematics 2-Unit"). My aim, purely out interest you understand, was to attempt every question in those books. Well, I did attempt every question and I succeeded in correctly answering most of them. It took me about two and a half years to complete those textbooks.

 

Then I realised that the 2-unit level was not enough. So off I went to the bookshop again and this time I bought "Year 11 Cambridge Mathematics 3-Unit", "Year 12 Cambridge Mathematics 3-Unit" and "Year 12 Cambridge Mathematics 4-Unit". I am using the same approach as before, that is to say, attempting every question (and succeeding at most). I am less than half a chapter from the end of the Year 12 3-Unit textbook having taken three years to get this far.

 

I certainly do use a fountain pen for mathematics.

 

The very act of writing with a fountain pen seems to make the mathematics easier to understand! Then again...it could just be my imagination!!!

[WaskiSquirrel]

I started college with plans of being a math teacher, but soon switched to being a physics major. The physics actually helped the math truly make sense. After I started teaching (as a science teacher), I began working on a masters' degree in mathematics. I finished everything but 2 chapters of the thesis. (I wish I had finished those as well, but that is water under the bridge.) Anyway, I was able to add mathematics to my teaching license along with all of the other sciences. I've taught most science courses from grades 7-12 and math courses all the way from 8th grade Algebra 1 to dual credit Calculus.

 

Anyway: I like to use a pencil to do my mathematics. I purchased a nice pencil sharpener to help me out. There is something soothing about the feel of a wood pencil between my fingers and the smell of pencil shavings. I like fountain pens as well, but I mostly use them for writing. In high school, I used them in math as well, but since then I discovered the joy of pencil.

 

As a teacher, I don't have a requirement. I suggest pencil, but I don't actually care. For some kids, the permanence of pen is good. For other kids, the ability to change their work in pencil is best. I'm part of the latter group in my math, but part of the former in my writing. I have realized that a lot of it comes down to personal preference.

 

By the way: I just wrote up an answer key to a worksheet with my Pilot Custom 823. It felt good, for whatever that is worth. Of course, it was only for Algebra 1.

[aj3537]

1357567422[/url]' post='2557312']

1357550109[/url]' post='2557146']

1357538560[/url]' post='2557068']

My math teacher refuses to grade work if I write it in pen.

This was my math prof this past term -- pencil or no go. I would have preferred doing all my work in some fabulous shade of purple.

 

 

That'd be awesome. Math is so much more fun in a colour!

I've had a TA refuse a part of my work once because it WAS in pencil :blink: Apparently, we must use some form of blue or black ink instead so we can't tinker with our results after we get them back. (I wonder if I could use the MB Einstein ink for finals this term and pass it off as "light black"... )

 

I had a math teacher like that. All math was to be done with a mechanical pencil. I bought a set on Eno mechanical pencils with colored lead. I would color code exponents, (), and integrals. When I got to college, pencils were banned on exams so you couldn't change answers.