Articles written by Brian Palmer

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About me - Brian Palmer

I'm a 24 year old student, pursuing my Ph.D. in Mathematics. I graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) in 2006 with my BA in Math, and I've continued on to the Ph.D. program there at UCSC.

I have a very broad range of interests, but I

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Sciences > Mathematics Set Theory explained: 1 of 7
If I randomly told you something like, "I'll do that tomorrow", you would have absolutely no idea what I was talking about. But if I had said "I'm going to cut my hair. I'll do that tomorrow." you would have understood me completely.Ok - so what's the point?Well, what this simple example illustrates is: in order to communicat... More..
Personal Finance > Investing Basics Commentary on the investment style of Warren Buffett: 1 of 6
Academics have for decades touted the belief that no one stock picker can consistently beat the entire stock market. The market is efficient, they say - it always prices assets at their intrinsic value. And it reacts almost instantaneously to new information, which reduces an investor's chances of getting into a stock before ... More..
Personal Finance > Stock Market Intermediate guide to the stock market: 1 of 6
So you've started investing in the stock market. You've opened an account, made some trades, and maybe even made a little money. Congratulations - you're on your way to taking advantage of the greatest money machine in existence!But maybe you've realized that to pull money from the market consistently, you will need more than... More..
Personal Finance > Stock Market How to survive a stock market crash: 2 of 11
Diversification alone will not protect you from a market meltdown.Indeed, broad diversification will almost certainly guarantee poor results during a market meltdown.It sounds counter-intuitive, but it's true.Why is this? Well, say you own a broadly diversified basket of stocks, like an S&P index fund. Then because you ow... More..
Personal Finance > Stock Market Understanding the stock market: 3 of 15
If you were to ask different people to summarize what the stock market is, you would get answers ranging from, "It's where you invest in companies," to "It's the best way to make money for retirement." Some would say "It's a great place to make a fortune," or possibly "It's a great place to lose your shirt".And the interestin... More..
Personal Finance > Stock Market Using fundamental analysis to buy shares: 1 of 3
Suppose for a moment that you decided to buy a used car, but never bothered to check under the hood, or check the interior of the car.Is this a wise decision?Obviously not!Does buying stock in a company without looking under the "hood" make any sense either? Of course not! Fortunately, once you have the right tool chest, look... More..
Personal Finance > Stock Market Pros and cons of using multiples for stock valuations: 2 of 5
The P/E Ratio is one of Wall Street's most beloved tools. It is one of the most frequently cited aspects of stocks, and is talked about as often as a stock's price. However, few individual investors realize what is needed to utilize P/E ratios effectively.Many have heard the mantra that a stock with a low P/E ratio might make... More..
Personal Finance > Stock Market How to purchase puts or calls in the stock market: 1 of 1
The stock market is full of exotic and confusing language that can be quite intimidating to individual investors. But as most investors know, once you get past such jargon as "net present value", "debt ratio", "acid test" and "operating margin", there are great opportunities to be had in the stock market. And the same can be ... More..
Personal Finance > Stock Market High yield, low beta stocks: 1 of 1
If you are a long term investor looking to grow your wealth safely and steadily, then there are many qualities you want in a stock. Generally, you want safe and stable companies, which generate a large amount of cash. This will insure that you will receive a steady stream of dividends for years to come. And you want the stock... More..
Sciences > Mathematics Counterexamples in abstract mathematics: 1 of 1
When studying abstract mathematics, one of the best ways to understand the subtleties that are inherent in the abstraction is to keep certain illustrative examples in mind. This allows us to encode the properties of the math we are studying in an easy to understand and familiar setting. When studying Rings, many think of the ... More..