This might work, but would it be the most efficient way of going about this?  I 
have two thoughts:

1.  I mentioned this because of the "context" problem that querido brought up.  
For instance, the strategy that you mention would allow you to retain the 
ability (call it ability A) to arbitrarily evaluate some Scheme code in a few 
seconds, regardless of the context.  This is nice, but what if that's more than 
what you wanted?  Suppose instead you didn't want to know any Scheme at all 
offhand, but you wanted the ability (call this ability B) to be able to review 
SICP for 30 minutes and then be able to evaluate some Scheme code.  Ability A 
implies ability B perhaps, but suppose all you really want is ability B.  
Doesn't it stand to reason that, over the years, ability A will take longer to 
maintain than ability B?

2.  Not all mental skills can be called memory.  Suppose you wanted to retain 
the ability to multiply two arbitrary 3 digit numbers in your head in 30 
seconds.  It wouldn't make sense to make a bunch of cards depicting various 
specific numbers to multiply.  To me, remembering how to program or how to do 
linear algebra falls in the grey area between remembering the definition of a 
word and "remembering" how to ride a bicycle.


Cheers,
-- 
Ben

----------------- Original message -----------------
From: Gwern Branwen <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2009 21:05:11 -0400

...
What if you have a deck principally of small examples and questions?

I've been learning Scheme through SICP, the SICP online tester, and
the R5RS report defining Scheme; I have essentially copied all the
small examples of syntax and semantics I've come across (and added new
ones by modifying those examples to cover in detail edge cases I
didn't understand). While some of my cards are definition-style (for
fundamental functions), most of them are those examples - 'evaluate
these 3 expressions' ultimate result', 'is this syntax correct:
yes/no' etc.

Why wouldn't this approach let me understand random Scheme I come
across in ten years - modulo the advanced stuff I simply haven't
gotten to yet, or the use of libraries I don't know? Certainly I would
expect it to. I don't see any reason why this couldn't be true of
linear algebra. Is it that you don't have a mass of problems and
examples for linear algebra, only an impoverished set of definitions
and theorems?

- --
gwern



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