Frequently Asked Questions

Zero is a stand in for the foundations one learns at the beginning of their mathematical education, such as basic algebra and geometry, involving straightforward operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. This mostly involves dealing with linear equations and the concepts can be fully encapsulated in problems dealing with integers zero through ten and various non-integers in between.

Dx is representative of analyzing more complex systems/equations that fluctuate in a nonuniform fashion from instance to instance along some variable x, thus forcing us to implement more advanced mathematical methods such as those from the field of calculus to analyze changes at various infinitesimal instances dx.

Despite at face value there seeming to be a big conceptual leap between the two worlds, my goal is to oversee students, that so desire or simply need to, make that leap without fear in a seamless fashion and with proper guidance see that there is nothing to fear when encountering a new realm of mathematics.

“Zero To Dx” is in a way a reference to my teaching methodology of helping students make the leap from the straightforward and one dimensional to the complex and multifaceted. It is also a symbolic/abstract representation of my mission statement of covering the fields in which I’m involved, in as complete a fashion as possible.

All time zones!! When you book a time, my available times are shown to you in your timezone, simply select the time that works best for you and we’re good to go.

The picture on the homepage is of me standing in front of the CMS detector at CERN during a period when it was shut off for upgrades. The header images on the About, FAQ, and Contact pages are various photos I took around Fermilab during my time there in 2011.

Understand what it is that made them good – consistency and passion over time, have a really good coach to help you turn the right mental keys to mastery.

Absolutely!! Quantum mechanics is implemented in engineering the transistors that make up the various digital, semiconducting, devices all around us – where an electrical signal needs to break a certain energy barrier [you could say – make a quantum leap] in order to register as a 1 or otherwise fail to conduct and be read as a 0.

The special theory of relativity is used in GPS software to account for the relative difference in the passage of time due to time dilation between the very fast moving satellite in Earth’s orbit and the much slower vehicle/pedestrian on the ground.

Antimatter, namely. positrons (antielectrons) are used in PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan to provide detailed medical imaging. There are also works in progress to implement antimatter in a space propulsion mechanism.

These are just some real world implementations of seemingly “too abstract/far fetched” concepts in physics that employ the kitchen sink of mathematics. There are many more ranging from materials and optics to quantum computing and quantum communication/teleportation.

Lastly, there’s also the consideration that concepts from physics are carried over to fields such as machine learning and machine learning is in turn used to help make discoveries in physics.

The octagon in the Zero To Dx logo is a reference to the Murray Gell-Mann’s Eightfold Way diagrams used in particle physics to organize particles by their quantum numbers, such as, “strangeness” and electrical charge, that determine how those particles interact with quantum forces such as the strong nuclear and electromagnetic. The name Eightfold Way comes from Gell-Mann’s reference to the Eightfold Path of Buddhism.

Mathematics and physics develop the mental faculties to tackle the abstract and the complex, as well as, to find order in what first appears to be chaos. When one puts in the effort to learn the fundamental workings of the universe, one gains a certain philosophical outlook on the world that allows them to see the bigger picture in life/what’s happening in the world in a unique manner, thus paving the way to a new degree of level headedness.

Other sciences apply methods/equations from math and physics to determine key parameters of the systems that they are dealing with. Many of the results in chemistry come from the application of Schrodinger’s Equation and Coulomb’s Law to atomic and molecular systems. Biology in turn uses chemistry and physics to analyze the various functions of living organisms. All sciences use probability and statistics to make predictions and extract results from experimental data.

Even someone in arts or photography can benefit from both a technical and artistic standpoint – understanding series/rule of thirds for composition; optics and thermodynamics to gain a better grasp on colors, filters, reflection, texture, weather/heat/humidity effects, sketching things out, etc. Certainly a 3D animator benefits from having a working knowledge of basic kinematics and optics.