From c0ba724ec6969bb2167ee769abe4636fd4ac1e4b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sameer Rahmani Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2023 16:34:40 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] Finish up the preface of 'on mathematics' --- orgs/essays/on-mathematics-1.org | 35 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--- 1 file changed, 32 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/orgs/essays/on-mathematics-1.org b/orgs/essays/on-mathematics-1.org index 19b683c..685b06d 100644 --- a/orgs/essays/on-mathematics-1.org +++ b/orgs/essays/on-mathematics-1.org @@ -2,9 +2,38 @@ #+TAGS: Mathematics(m) series(s) #+CATEGORY: Science #+DATE: 2022-09-07 -#+TITLE: On Mathematics - Part 1 +#+TITLE: On Mathematics - Preface #+DESC: Often, we avoid things that are unknown to us and surprisingly mathematics is one of them. * Preface :Mathematics:series: -Through out school, I was an average student. Or better to say I started school strongly and -finished up university poorly (just above failure line). It wasn't the case +In this long essay, I will explore the wonderful world of mathematics in hope of drawing a more clear +picture of what mathematics really is and emphasis the importance of mathematical thinking as a skill +that can drastically change one's life for the better. + +Throughout school, I was an average student. Or better to say I started school strongly and finished +up university poorly (just above the failure line). Many factors were involved in such a process. +When I think back, probably the most important reason was that I was interested in subjects which +I could understand the applications of it in real life. As I grew older, the true purpose and +application of different subjects moved away from my understanding, and gradually I have lost +interest in them. For example, even though I always like maths because of its puzzle like nature, +I couldn't understand why I'm learning about calculus and in what way it is useful for me? At the +same time, I found my interest in programming and since I could understand and directly see the +application and usefulness of it in my daily activities, I grew to like more and more. + +It was only a few years after graduating from the university that I began to understand mathematics +and science truly. I took me several years and to be frank, I think I have more to understand still. +But the bright side of things was that, everything fell in place, things started to click and the +cloud of confusion and distortion were cleared from my vision. Regret found its way to my heart, +and I wished I knew all this while I was in high school or university. I thought, I'm late to the +game and everyone else already knows about all this. It turned out that I was wrong. + +Most of us live our lives without the need to resort to mathematics, or at least that is what we +think. We don't see the need to use mathematics in different aspects of our daily life. Usually, +there is no gap that requires mathematics to fill it. To someone with a basic understanding of +mathematics, it might sound normal. But it puts cringe on the faces of those who understand the +way of mathematics and science. + +The way of science and mathematics is what that makes the difference. It helps us to think better, +avoid common pitfalls in life, and live better in general. In this series of essays, I will explore +“the way of science and mathematics” and will do my best to help you gain a clear understanding of +what mathematical thinking means and how to achieve such a skill.