y do u like maths? (1 Viewer)

[hatty]

well?

 

[Euler]

I found I was good at it, and enjoyed it. It's mechanical at first, but you start to think about other ways of looking at things. Then it becomes interesting.

If you are looking for reasons why people do mathematics, try reading G.H. Hardy's book "a mathematician's apology". He tries to justify his work in there. I only remember one point where he says that mathematics is not a science, but an art. I agree with him.

 

[KeypadSDM]

He shouldn't have said it's not a science, it is necessarily both. More one or the other at times, but essentially both.

 

[yanananananana]

hahahahahahahahahahaha...





*ahem*

 

[Merforga]

Its nice and logical and they cant skimp marks if you do all the working out properly and get the right answer ^^

 

[Grey Council]

mathematics is not a science, but an art

lmao, you have ANY idea how many people claim that for any single one of their passions? It seems everything is an art, not a science. lol, I've read books where the author has claimed that pool is an art, bowling is an art, batting is an art, essay writing is an art, golf is an art. heheheh, this really is ridiculous.

having said that, I agree. Mathematics is an art, not a science. hehe, just look for elegant solutions to harder problems, i'm sure you'll agree with me. ^__^

And everything works out in mathematics. Well, in the HSC stage anyway. And if you get the question right, you get it right. None of this, marker didn't like your style crap. An objective subject, as opposed to a subjective one (like english). Thats why I like maths.

 

[hatty]

well thats great.

 

[Jase]

it turns me on..

just kidding .. to me, that question is an enigma
like asking :

What is life?

What is the meaning of a meaning?

Why do we ask questions?

What is the air speed velocity of an African swallow?

Will i ever shut up?

so i guess its a two way answer,
yes..
i like maths because it allows me to calculate the air velocity of an African swallow.
and no..
i will never shut up.

 

[kimmeh]

i dont like it, the fact that i feel good when i solve a really hard question makes me want to do more. though i wish i was good at it though.

yeah i read some book on fermat's last theorem and it explains how a mathematician would approach a problem compared to a scientist. its rather interesting.

 

[sammeh]

everything IS an art - its all just a matter of perspective

i like maths because one of the most satisfying feelings you will ever experience is finishing what you thought would be a long and disgusting proof using a neat little algebraic twist in about 4 lines, then looking at it and going "ahhh, much better."

 

[Grey Council]

well, i think i mentioned elegant approaches. And it appears Sammeh is one of those people who thinks Maths is an art too.

 

[suiyi_z]

well i don't actually really like maths...its alot of hard work but i suppose i'm okay at it so that's why i do it. i do agree with the elegance of maths though, so many things just link together and when it finally clicks and you get this really hard question it just seems quite amazing....i wouldn't really call it an art though

 

[Euler]

pool is an art. I agree with that. It's more about feeling the shot (and english, etc) than the science of what angle it will rebound off the cushions.

I can't vouch for the other sports/activities. but like Grey Council said, what ever your passion, you'll see it as an art.

Math is an art, because it is a creative subject. Those that publish, say, 10 papers a year would have to do lots of hard work to provide something new to the ever growing publications in mathematics. They are new, and, though not always breakthroughs, are different from what has been done before. It takes creativity to think of new things.

There is one dude; Grothendieck is his name. He is a genius, a Fields medal recipient, and made many breakthroughs. But has given up on mathematics. Stories have him in an small country town looking after goats and trying to convince the locals to have dandilion soup.

ok...i'm diverging.

Grothendieck is probably one of the most creative mathematicians. He created mathematics.

Another wierdo to look out for is Paul Erdos. He lived his life to do mathematics. He even took drugs (the ones that help you concentrate) to do math all day, every day.

Why do I like math? because it is colourful, because there is a remote chance I could become famous (yeah, right...), because I enjoy the intellectual challenges...trying to understand the ideas of other people.

 

[KeypadSDM]

I love seeing the connections between completely different fields of mathematics.

Although I will get pissed off at godels incompleteness theorem, when I encounter it.

 

[aud]

Because there's a solution, and a way of getting to it, and even if I don't understand the method, I know it's there, which is very reassuring
It also lets me escape from the labours of EE2... so much easier to get lost in Maths than it is to get lost in English...

 

[Grey Council]

Aud, i think you just put it into a nutshell. Esp for us 4/4'ers. ^_^ But i dunno about easier to get lost in maths. hrm, true to an extent, but once your lost in english, man, you gonna come up with some good ideas (or so you think at the time ). hehe

and nice post Euler. But what did those people DO? Why are they famous?

And Hatty? why do YOU like maths?

 

[aud]

Originally posted by Grey Council
Aud, i think you just put it into a nutshell. Esp for us 4/4'ers. ^_^ But i dunno about easier to get lost in maths. hrm, true to an extent, but once your lost in english, man, you gonna come up with some good ideas (or so you think at the time ). hehe

Maybe it's cause I still haven't got my head wrapped around my EE2 stuff... will keep hoping it'll click into place when I stop and think about it; spent all today on Maths cause I have my ME1 and ME2 exams tomorrow and day after (17 hours apart, grr), and the amount of paper I use is more than English, it's appalling... downside to Maths - you kill many many trees...

 

[Grey Council]

well, yes, i suppose. But then you can grow up to be a mathematician who calculates how many treest should be planted. ^_^

or maybe not.

lol, you use MUCH more paper in maths than you do in english. I've finished like 4 240 page books for maths after the end of last years term 4. english is no where near that.

 

[santaslayer]

i hate maths, maths is boring, pass it on!

 

[Estel]

I agree... maths and I are having a fight right now... :S