1 of 19

How to Fight

Impostor Syndrome

(with Math)

Aditya Khanna

SIAM Pop Sci Symposium

Disclaimer

impostor syndrome

partially ordered set

cutest cat

poset of fruits

do not have to be totally ordered

Thinking fast and slow (on an axis)

dimensions

high dimensional word 2 vec

you are a high dimensional being

How to do a 100 things

connections pentagon, edge counting

your ideas, personality, experieices are in the connections between vertices

what if I am the false positive

Bayes theorem

Thank you

2 of 19

How to Fight

Impostor Syndrome

(with Math)

Aditya Khanna

SIAM Pop Sci Symposium

Disclaimer

With this presentation, I do not wish to make light of a serious topic. Nothing in this presentation is supposed to replace medical or professional consultation.

This presentation is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The contents are anecdotal and their efficacy, to a certain extent, has been a factor in my own journey with impostor syndrome.

What is impostor syndrome?

partially ordered set

cutest cat

poset of fruits

do not have to be totally ordered

Thinking fast and slow (on an axis)

dimensions

high dimensional word 2 vec

you are a high dimensional being

How to do a 100 things

connections pentagon, edge counting

your ideas, personality, experieices are in the connections between vertices

what if I am the false positive

Bayes theorem

Thank you

3 of 19

Disclaimer

With this presentation, I do not wish to make light of a serious topic. Nothing in this presentation counts as medical advice. Please consult a professional.

This presentation is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The contents are anecdotal and their efficacy, to a certain extent, has been a factor in my own journey with impostor syndrome.

I preemptively apologize if I offend anyone.

What is impostor syndrome?

  • Feeling like you don’t belong
  • Feel that you don’t deserve the opportunities or achievements you got
  • Feelings of self-doubt
  • Feel like everyone else is better compared to you

Partially Ordered Set

poset of fruits

do not have to be totally ordered

Thinking fast and slow (on an axis)

dimensions

high dimensional word 2 vec

you are a high dimensional being

How to do a 100 things

connections pentagon, edge counting

your ideas, personality, experieices are in the connections between vertices

what if I am the false positive

Bayes theorem

Thank you

4 of 19

Disclaimer

What is impostor syndrome?

  • Feeling like you don’t belong
  • Feel that you don’t deserve the opportunities or achievements you got
  • Feelings of self-doubt
  • Feel like everyone else is better compared to you

Partially Ordered Set

Cats!

poset of fruits

do not have to be totally ordered

Thinking fast and slow (on an axis)

dimensions

high dimensional word 2 vec

you are a high dimensional being

How to do a 100 things

connections pentagon, edge counting

your ideas, personality, experieices are in the connections between vertices

what if I am the false positive

Bayes theorem

Thank you

5 of 19

Disclaimer

What is impostor syndrome?

Partially Ordered Set

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What about 2 and 3?

they are incomparable

Cats!

poset of fruits

do not have to be totally ordered

Thinking fast and slow (on an axis)

dimensions

high dimensional word 2 vec

you are a high dimensional being

How to do a 100 things

connections pentagon, edge counting

your ideas, personality, experieices are in the connections between vertices

what if I am the false positive

Bayes theorem

Thank you

6 of 19

Disclaimer

What is impostor syndrome?

Partially Ordered Set

Cats!

… but you think your cat is the cutest.

When someone says “My cat is the cutest!

Posets, as they are called in math, apply well to real life too.

Fruit poset

Thinking fast and slow (on an axis)

dimensions

high dimensional word 2 vec

you are a high dimensional being

How to do a 100 things

connections pentagon, edge counting

your ideas, personality, experieices are in the connections between vertices

what if I am the false positive

Bayes theorem

Thank you

7 of 19

Disclaimer

What is impostor syndrome?

Partially Ordered Set

Cats!

… but you think your cat is the cutest.

When someone says “My cat is the cutest!

Posets, as they are called in math, apply well to real life too.

Fruit poset

This also applies to PEOPLE!

Thinking fast and slow

dimensions

high dimensional word 2 vec

you are a high dimensional being

How to do a 100 things

connections pentagon, edge counting

your ideas, personality, experieices are in the connections between vertices

what if I am the false positive

Bayes theorem

Thank you

8 of 19

Disclaimer

What is impostor syndrome?

Partially Ordered Set

Cats!

Fruit poset

Thinking fast and slow

dimensions

high dimensional word 2 vec

you are a high dimensional being

How to do a 100 things

connections pentagon, edge counting

your ideas, personality, experieices are in the connections between vertices

what if I am the false positive

Bayes theorem

Thank you

you

running

mental math

video games

chores

sleeping

9 of 19

Disclaimer

What is impostor syndrome?

Partially Ordered Set

Cats!

Fruit poset

Thinking fast and slow

you

Higher dimensions

you are a high dimensional being

How to do a 100 things

connections pentagon, edge counting

your ideas, personality, experieices are in the connections between vertices

what if I am the false positive

Bayes theorem

Thank you

10 of 19

Disclaimer

What is impostor syndrome?

Partially Ordered Set

Cats!

Fruit poset

Thinking fast and slow

Higher dimensions

There are many many dimensions to consider.

skills

hobbies

values

morals

help

We project ourselves onto one axis.

You are a

high dimensional

being

How to do a 100 things

connections pentagon, edge counting

your ideas, personality, experieices are in the connections between vertices

what if I am the false positive

Bayes theorem

Thank you

11 of 19

Disclaimer

What is impostor syndrome?

Partially Ordered Set

Cats!

Fruit poset

Thinking fast and slow

Higher dimensions

You are a

high dimensional

being

How to have 100 ideas

connections pentagon, edge counting

your ideas, personality, experieices are in the connections between vertices

what if I am the false positive

Bayes theorem

Thank you

12 of 19

Disclaimer

What is impostor syndrome?

Partially Ordered Set

Cats!

Fruit poset

Thinking fast and slow

Higher dimensions

You are a

high dimensional

being

How to have 100 ideas

what if I am the false positive

Bayes theorem

Thank you

13 of 19

Disclaimer

What is impostor syndrome?

Partially Ordered Set

Cats!

Fruit poset

Thinking fast and slow

Higher dimensions

You are a

high dimensional

being

How to have 100 ideas

Nodes (friends, books, papers)

Edges

(experiences, plans, breakthroughs)

your ideas, personality, experieices are in the connections between vertices

what if I am the false positive

Bayes theorem

Thank you

14 of 19

Disclaimer

What is impostor syndrome?

Partially Ordered Set

Cats!

Fruit poset

Thinking fast and slow

Higher dimensions

You are a

high dimensional

being

How to have 100 ideas

 

 

But you can combine things in more ways than just pairs.

 

All the intangible ideas,

experiences, thoughts, loves;

lie in the connections

among the people and

things you can see.

what if I am the false positive

Bayes theorem

Thank you

15 of 19

Disclaimer

What is impostor syndrome?

Partially Ordered Set

Cats!

Fruit poset

Thinking fast and slow

Higher dimensions

You are a

high dimensional

being

How to have 100 ideas

 

 

But you can combine things in more ways than just pairs.

 

All the intangible ideas,

experiences, thoughts, loves;

lie in the connections

among the people and

things you can see.

“What is essential is invisible to the eye”

- The Little Prince

The false positive

Bayes theorem

Thank you

16 of 19

Disclaimer

What is impostor syndrome?

Partially Ordered Set

Cats!

Fruit poset

Thinking fast and slow

Higher dimensions

You are a

high dimensional

being

How to have 100 ideas

All the intangible ideas,

experiences, thoughts, loves;

lie in the connections

among the people and

things you can see.

“What is essential is invisible to the eye”

- The Little Prince

The false positive

“Fine, I accept that we are incomparable higher-dimensional beings who exist in this large network…”

“…but what if I am the oddity? The one mistakenly let in. One who slipped through the cracks."

Bayes’ theorem

Thank you

17 of 19

Disclaimer

What is impostor syndrome?

Partially Ordered Set

Cats!

Fruit poset

Thinking fast and slow

Higher dimensions

You are a

high dimensional

being

How to have 100 ideas

All the intangible ideas,

experiences, thoughts, loves;

lie in the connections

among the people and

things you can see.

The false positive

“Fine, I accept that we are incomparable higher-dimensional beings who exist in this large network…”

“…but what if I am the oddity? The one mistakenly let in. One who slipped through the cracks."

Bayes’ theorem

Thank you

P(you are an impostor) =

 

acceptance rate

 

18 of 19

Disclaimer

What is impostor syndrome?

Partially Ordered Set

Cats!

Fruit poset

Thinking fast and slow

Higher dimensions

You are a

high dimensional

being

How to have 100 ideas

All the intangible ideas,

experiences, thoughts, loves;

lie in the connections

among the people and

things you can see.

The false positive

“Fine, I accept that we are incomparable higher-dimensional beings who exist in this large network…”

“…but what if I am the oddity? The one mistakenly let in. One who slipped through the cracks.

Bayes’ theorem

 

P(you are NOT an impostor)

Thanks for listening!

19 of 19

Disclaimer

What is impostor syndrome?

Partially Ordered Set

Cats!

Fruit poset

Thinking fast and slow

Higher dimensions

You are a

high dimensional

being

How to have 100 ideas

All the intangible ideas,

experiences, thoughts, loves;

lie in the connections

among the people and

things you can see.

The false positive

“Fine, I accept that we are incomparable higher-dimensional beings who exist in this large network…”

“…but what if I am the oddity? The one mistakenly let in. One who slipped through the cracks.

Bayes’ theorem

P(you are NOT an impostor)

 

Thanks for listening!