Lockhart's Lament

I can't remember the route by which I arrived at this. But it's glorious. Not so much a "Lament" as a scream of anguish. To all who enjoy mathematics, despite their schools.

So we’re supposed to just set off on some free-form mathematical excursion, and the students will learn whatever they happen to learn?

Precisely. Problems will lead to other problems, technique will be developed as it becomes necessary, and new topics will arise naturally. And if some issue never happens to come up in thirteen years of schooling, how interesting or important could it be?

A bit of background here.

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