[BlindMath] Experiment.

[avery ingram]

Hello,

It's really cool that you're very dedicated and want to help other blind people. To me, the most ideal method would involve several steps. I think if you went through a trial run of it and gave people a summary of what worked well and what didn't, it could help others. First, try to find a book in the field you want from the Louis database. If it hasn't been converted yet, ask BookShare to do so. Once you have the book, you could try to use that, AI, and tutors/past professors to learn a new subject. Also, finding the optimal workflow would be helpful, both when in a class environment when AI might not be allowed, and at home, when you can use any software you choose. It could also be the case that some subjects benefit a lot from having tactile graphics or models over AI description, but maybe it depends on the person. I'm interested to know what you learn from the self-study process.

Best,

Avery

On Jun 12, 2026, at 4:04 PM, Ray McAllister via BlindMath <blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:

Okay, here's an experiment I'd like to do.  I'd like to take a subject in
higher math that really there isn't an easy text book in accessible format
for online.  I believe analytic geometry might be an example.  Then, see if
I can get Chat GPT or some chat bot to write a course in that field for me.
I already know that Chat GPT does a very good job with Pretext Mathjax work,
and, I can explain that I'm blind, and I get a diagram-free, well-described
situation.  I would be good for this task since I'm studying higher math,
simply for fun, so there's no risk.  If it doesn't work, I'm not in danger
of failing a class or something.  

What I would do, as I have contacts in a local university's math department:
I'd probably get a copy of their syllabus for the class, and, maybe a review
sheet for the exams, and then submit those to Chat GPT.  Then, we'd do
lesson by lesson, and I already have experience with this with Chat GPT.  I
had it develop a short lesson, with worked examples, on Ferrari's Quartic
Equations method, and I was able to understand it well enough to code a
computer program to solve quartic equations that way.  I do catch mistakes
now and then, and that's part of the process.  But my end result would be to
see if I could do this, and then take a real exam, and see how I'd do.  

Now, if this actually can prove successful, I'm not sure where to go.
Obviously, one couldn't just completely replace a course's text books with
AI, for the blind, but there is the idea that universities and colleges do
have "independent study" options, and if there are a couple subjects that
just aren't workable there, maybe a blind person could do this for
independent study credit as a work-around.  Sometimes the experiment comes
before the complete vision of how to make it practical.  



What do you think of such an experiment?  There's no cost, no risk.  That I
know.  



I've also done well having Chat GPT describe mathematical diagrams for me,
so I think I could do this.  



I wonder what subjects would be best.  I'm thinking Analytical Geometry,
though a real challenge might be topology.  



Anyway, just throwing this out for thought.  I'm currently doing Abstract
Algebra and Complex Analysis online, and I often have to get tutoring with
Chat GPT on abstract algebra, but I am understanding it.



But it will be a few months before I finish one of the books and set up to
start something new.



Thanks,

Ray.



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