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For me I need to see examples. The abstraction almost always just confuses me. Unfortunately most (advanced) mathematics texts are very thin on examples. It wasn't always like this. Mathematics used to (hundreds of years ago) be done with all examples and no theory! That would suit me just fine. It seems that some people are better at one way or the other. The present trend is towards the abstract side.

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I've found I have to turn mathematics algorithmic to understand it, thinking through what each symbol does to the things passing "through" it. Attempting to understand equations per se does nothing for me. They're important for proofs, I get it, but aid me not at all figuring out what it all actually means. Yet equations are the primary tool and presentation method used in most math books.

I'm pretty sure this is why I've never had trouble with programming, despite feeling the way I imagine a dyslexic must when I try to read very "mathy" material even about things that I already understand. Programming's algorithm-first. Except the few languages that aren't, and I bounce off those, too.

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