Past to Present, numbers through the lens of Sun Tun
Numbers. They appear on your calendar, they appear on your clock, and they most certainly appear everywhere in your math class. Some see numbers as units, while others believe numbers to be superstitious. Whatever the case maybe, numbers are utilized in the everyday human life in a variety of ways. From simply counting how many eggs there are in the refrigerator to solving the most complex derivative problems in math class, numbers serve a purpose. For me, that purpose is a bridge of connection. Through the usage of numbers, I am able to connect to different individuals I meet in life. From the time I arise in the morning to the time I set in the afternoon, numbers constantly change my perspective of the many actions I take in life.
I do not know the full origin of numbers. However I do know that numbers coincide with mathematics, and through mathematics, many of the greatest accomplishments created by mankind, stand tall today. From the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids to my desktop at home, numbers have fulfilled mankind’s wishes by converting imaginations into real life actual figures. I fell in love with numbers when I constructed my first pyramid of blocks back in first grade. At eight, while most of my classmates were amazed by Spider-Man and endlessly jabbered on about the crime-fighting vigilante, there was me again constructing my own pyramid of blocks, curious on how many more blocks I needed to obtain from my unaware classmates to increase the size of my pyramid.
I was teased often for completing the math workbook too quickly, and shamed on for not having a favorite Marvel superhero. My classmates consecutively toppled my pyramid of blocks at recess, began stealing all my blocks away from me, and once in a while, tossed my math workbook into the trash can. I never told my teacher of my difficulties as I was a very timid individual back then. Although my classmates did succeed in claiming all of my precious blocks, they could not shatter a single shard of my heart and soul for math. I was a burning meteorite with passion, on course for collision with any math test that stood in my way. Perhaps my greatest accomplishment was bringing extinction upon the MCA math tests. I was a shooting star, so radiant, I obliterated each and every single math problem on the exams with ease.
As the years progressed however, my radiance dwindled and math was fading from me, numbers were no more than negligible units. Middle school arrived, and the first few months of my algebra class had my grade accelerating in the wrong direction. For the first time in math, I was struggling. My parents were unable to help as they never learned too much math theirselves. I was a lone wanderer in search of assistance, and I found assistance in the most unexpected place, the tennis courts, on August 4th, 2012. His name is Khun, and the bridge the connects our lives together is a through our passion of math. He’s the individual that completely changed my perspective on not only math, but numbers through the sport that we both enjoy playing, tennis. The bond between Khun and I would solidify into a bond stronger than stone.
Khun assisted me in my math homework many times on the weekends, as we would take many trips to our public library. Every time, he always insisted I think simple instead of complex when doing math. He inspired me to convince my parents to invest in a computer, and to become a tennis player, somehow. Every time we would play a tennis match, he told me that there was math in the sport. I found it really hard to believe at first, but the more I played tennis, the more I started to to agree with Khun. It was because of Khun, I was able change my perspective of just numbers here, to numbers everywhere. A young man that lived two blocks down from me had just now become my very best friend.
I never expected that tennis could introduce me to a whole new perspective on math. It was through tennis that I discovered my favorite number is pi and favorite date is March 14. Although I do like pie, with cherry pie being my favorite; pi was the fuel that reignited my passion for math again. Professor Steven Strogatz at Cornell University states that, “What distinguishes pi from all other numbers is its connection to cycles. For those of us interested in the applications of mathematics to the real world, this makes pi indispensable. Whenever we think about rhythms — processes that repeat periodically, with a fixed tempo, like a pulsing heart or a planet orbiting the sun — we inevitably encounter pi.” It is through pi, I finally understood why my math teachers try so hard to compress the information of sine, cosine, and tangent, and everything associated with pi into me. Its because the real world revolves around the usage of pi and almost everything and anything can be applied to pi.
As much as numbers can be perceived as just mathematics, there are superstitions that are connected with numbers. Khun’s favorite number is 31 because it’s the number that’s associated with his birthday, and many other people take in the same concept as Khun because we all assign numbers with some sort of significance that gives meaning to our lives. Numbers gain significance based on how we portray them to be. I portray the number 13 to be superstitious, containing bad luck ,and many people would agree with me because that’s how human culture portrays numbers. That’s the reason why a 13th floor doesn’t exist. I just can’t believe that the superstition on numbers is so powerful that it affects how infrastructures are designed. As Shirley Li from The Atlantic concludes, “The point is: Numbers drive how we see our surroundings in ways that are sometimes encouraging, sometimes discouraging. They’re a part of our regular lives, making them hard to ignore. Yet in the end, we’re the ones who assign bad or good luck to the numbers we see.”
When I combine mathematics and superstition of numbers in my life, I get something called shopping. I absolutely dislike shopping, mainly for the reason that my mom takes way too long to shop, but also because shopping is deceiving and very psychological. As author Hans Villarica from The Atlantic states, “Retailers almost never round up because of psychological pricing, the old marketing rule that dictates that consumers are more easily swayed by prices that end with “.99” because they seem substantially cheaper.” I would always chip in and buy snacks for Khun when we were hanging out on the weekends to buy some Doritos. We even went shopping together at Dick’s Sporting Goods for new tennis equipment on rare occasions. Khun always gave me advice to look beyond the price tag and numbers. He insisted I do the actual math to figure out the price, and not to be convinced that $.99 was making me save money. Turns out, I never really listened to him mainly due to the fact that I shopped once a year for my tennis equipment.
Numbers have always been a mystery, even to this day, I’m still wondering who would of ever thought it was a good idea to combine science with math to create physics, and reign hell upon tender minds of high school students like me. Perhaps Issac Newton. However it was through numbers that I was able to find passion in math, which led to meeting Khun, who shared not only the same passion, but an advanced perspective and understanding. I call him a lot whenever I need assistance in math, I play tennis a lot when he’s available, and as of now, we share a passion for sword fighting every Halloween because each year we dress up as Jedi and Sith Lord to reenact lightsaber fight.
Numbers play a very significant role in this world, but also play a very significant role in my world. From playing my favorite sports, to shopping to superstition, as well as mathematics, and meeting new people, numbers have assisted me from the day I started building my first pyramid block. I once thought of numbers as just units, now I think of them as the hidden figures that are behind the advancement of this world. Sunrise to sunset, numbers are orbiting my life and yours too, just like the planets orbit around the sun.
Works Cited
Strogatz, Steven. “Why Pi Matters.” The New Yorker. The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2015. Web. 02 Feb. 2017.
Villarica, Hans. “Professional Help: 5 Ways You’re Influenced by Numbers Psychology.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 2012. Web. 02 Feb. 2017.
Li, Shirley. “Skipping the 13th Floor.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 13 Feb. 2015. Web. 02 Feb. 2017.
