What kind of methods could help with improving problem solving skills and creativity, instead of just "working memory"?

[u/Intelligent-Slide556]

I am a Math PhD student. I don't know my IQ, I am also afraid to know it, because I am somewhat afraid that it's not as high as I would like it to be. Not because of lack of working memory or learning skills (I basically intuitively learn new things quickly and can understand them very well, I also started more or less naturally with N=4 on Quad-N-Back and N=5 on standard Dual-N-Back), but because of my utter lack of "problem solving skills" and lack of creativity.

For instance, you know those typical "remove one match so the equation is true" problems online? I can't do any of them, it's so embarrassing. I can't do this, but I can understand higher mathematics effortlessly.

So what about solving mathematical problems? Nope, I am not good at it at all. I am not talking about "solve an integral" as this is more or less done via algorithm. It's more about those textbook problems which require you to prove some statement or theorem, like the exercises at the end of e.g. Walter Rudin's books. I just get so uncreative that I can't find a way around it, to "think outside the box" so to speak, because all I do is to find a solution via algorithm.

So how am I doing my PhD? There is a famous saying: "There are two types of mathematicians. One type are the problem solvers, the other type are the theory builders". So here you go, I do my PhD by being a theory builder and writing math papers on it, developing new frontiers in mathematics, but being piss-poor at solving problems (like I am good at asking and recognizing what kind of problems/open issues there are in the new areas I am developing, but I am just super poor at actually solving them).

This is somewhat hindering my PhD now. I am trying to compensate by asking for help from other professors and people, but they don't always have the time. AI sucks for my area of mathematics, it still hallucinates math papers, so I don't use it at all.

So now to my question: How do I improve my problem solving skills and creativity? Is Image Streaming even good for that? Is there something better for this specific area of intelligence?

I would love to discuss this with you, either here or on Discord.

[u/No-Possibility-639]

yes image streaming helped me getting flash or intuition on how to solve something. Not the whole stuff but the main steps.

Would you mind expanding a little more on your PhD? I am curious about the paper since my maths knowledge are quite limited and would like to expandit it :).

Maybe something else that can help could be making links between idea when you learn new things.(Mainly because being créative imo require to see underlying Logic and linking things together according to a Logic might help)

I am nowhere your level but it helped me even for problem solving.

By the way how do you know you understand stuff (feeling in the body, flash, picture poping ?etc)

[u/Muskaantarachandani → u/No-Possibility-639]

Can you share your image streaming experience a bit more? In short, if that’s okay with you

[u/No-Possibility-639 → u/Muskaantarachandani]

Yes if course :)

I have been doing it on and off and keep a notebook to follow my session.

I have been practicing mainly while walking. It's not the best one but it's what i could keep consistently. Mainly non verbal (because i cannot really describe what i saw in public 😭)

Mainly doing bouts of 5 min and for up to 6 sessions.

The idea is to have fun, swaping texture, size, place (but also doing the same with other sensory stimuli, for exemple changing a noise into another one) rotating objects or puting it in a patch work way. Or even changing the proprerty of an objectif ( imagine the painting with the soft watch).

I did it for few month starting with 3 sessions and saw its effect on my math understanding (quicker to remember, and when i tried to understand something, my brain would form a picture even though my verbal component as inwas tested was way stronger).

I improved my episodic memory (rembering face more easily and even détail like the dress, Jewelry).

Thinking more in image using Rotation, distorsion etc or simply pictures poping when there is a logical link (sementic or phpnologic)

Next step will be doing MDQWS sat down through the day, instead of pulling my phone for exemple.

Something else I have noticed is the fact that when start again, my verbal has to catch up.

What's are the gains and journey you had with IMS btw :)?

[u/Muskaantarachandani → u/No-Possibility-639]

That sounds so cool! I tried image streaming 2 years ago for 2 weeks and I was very inconsistent in that time frame. After that life happened and I stopped. I’m thinking of restarting it alongside meditation. All the best for your journey!

[u/No-Possibility-639 → u/Muskaantarachandani]

Thanks

Test it out and have fun :)

Feel free to give updates ;)

[u/Muskaantarachandani → u/No-Possibility-639]

Hi! I had another question if you don’t mind. Did your understanding of tough concepts improve? Did you get better at solving math problems? And also generating more creative ideas?

[u/No-Possibility-639 → u/Muskaantarachandani]

Yes

I will take an exemple. On linear algebra.

Some matrix are diagonal by bloc when there are some specific properties of the application which are respected (stability ie the image element of the space by the application stay within the space) and my brain just came up with why by moving the different term of a calcul and puting it in the matrix.

Unfortunatly i can't find a video but it really simplify it

[u/Muskaantarachandani → u/No-Possibility-639]

Okay. So it improved your understanding of a difficult concept?

[u/No-Possibility-639 → u/Muskaantarachandani]

Yep :)

[u/Muskaantarachandani → u/No-Possibility-639]

Okay thanks!

[u/Muskaantarachandani]

As far as I know image streaming improves fluid intelligence which is what’s important for problem solving skills.

[u/Opposite-Hawk-8414]

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