What IS Mathematics Anyway?
January 22nd, 2014
What is math? This is a question that I can honestly say I have not thought about until now. When I questioned my own knowledge about math, I found that I truly do not know much about it at all. According to Wikipedia, "Mathematics is the abstract study of topics such as quantity (numbers) structure, space, and change. There is a range of views among mathematicians and philosophers as to the exact scope and definition of mathematics." I think there is a lot of debate about what is classified as being math. Math could be about addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, exponents, fractions, and many other elements. The list of mathematical terms and ideas is extensive, but I believe what constitutes mathematics depends on each individual's perspective.
What does it mean to do mathematics?
My understanding of what it means to do mathematics is essentially to solve a problem. In my experiences with math in both primar/elementary as well as high school, doing math consisted of an endless amount of worksheets, times table memorization, and stressful tests. At the time, and up until this point, I always thought that is what mathematics is all about. Unfortunately, I get the feeling that I am not the only one who has this assumption about math. Upon researching what math is and what it means to do mathematics, I realized that I have been doing math my entire life without ever really noticing. Doing math can be something as simple as counting money, counting calories, measuring when cooking, and even viewing weather trends. It is extraordinary when we think about how much we rely on math in our everyday lives, but most people say we never use mathematics once we graduate high school.
If you are "thinking mathematically," what might be going on?
Before doing any research at all on this question, my initial thought was that when we think mathematically, we are using the many elements of math we learned throughout our education in order to solve a problem. The problem may be conscious or subconscious, simple or abstract. Upon thinking it through further and gathering information from the internet, I realize that thinking mathematically does not necessarily have to incorporate the traditional aspects of math such as addition or multiplication. For instance, a problem could arise where a teacher has made a grading error on your paper, but you don't know how to approach them about it. What is the right way to address the situation? How will the teacher react? Handling this type of every day situation may not seem mathematical, but in reality, it consists of weighing out opportunities and thinking about how to solve a problem.
Great job Hilary. Through an act of creativity you've managed to create your very own blog, and by using mathematical formulae learned long ago, you've managed to add your own two cents worth. Your creativity post is so intriguing. When I was in first grade my teacher spent xountless hours teaching me to "draw" my letters and numbers, (art, right?). Then in subsequent grades I was taught to "make" letters and numbers, (creativity, right?). Before I finished school, I was taught to "do" math. I hate maths.
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