[gpjanik]

If you're adding some computational/problem breakdown/heuristic steps on top/instead of mathematical concepts, then you're doing the opposite of what the author proposes.

Scientific conensus in math is Occam's Razor, or the principle of parsimony. In algebra, topology, logic and many other domains, this means that rather than having many computational steps (or a "simple mental model") to arrive to an answer, you introduce a concept that captures a class of problems and use that. Very beneficial for dealing with purely mathematical problems, absolute distaster for quick problem solving IMO.

[ccortes]

> then you're doing the opposite of what the author proposes

No, it’s exactly what the author is writing about. Just check his example, it’s pretty clear what he means by “thinking in math”

> Scientific conensus in math is Occam's Razor, or the principle of parsimony. In algebra, topology, logic and many other domains, this means that rather than having many computational steps (or a "simple mental model") to arrive to an answer, you introduce a concept that captures a class of problems and use that.

I don’t even know what you mean by this.