The Importance of Mathematics
An article by Ethan McColgan, one of three winners of Oxbridge Inspire’s STEM writing competition 2018.
‘Without mathematics there is nothing you can do. Everything around you is mathematics. Everything around you is numbers’. These are the words of Shakuntala Devi- the ‘human calculator’- and she is not wrong. We all use mathematics in our everyday lives. Even insects use mathematical patterns, such as spiders to design their webs and bees to build hexagonal combs.
The applications of mathematics are endless. Without the mathematics of Queuing Theory, it would be impossible to guarantee a reliable phone or internet service and computer games would not exist if it were not for vectors, linear algebra and 3D geometry. Maths can even be used to predict crime. For example, the behaviour of a burglar could be modelled as a random walk, allowing for more effective police patrols. Mathematical modelling is widely used in manufacturing. It even guarantees the safe operation of nuclear reactors. Furthermore, the use of mathematics is very prevalent in sport: statistics are used to determine a player’s ranking or the chances of a team winning.
Numbers also exist in nature. The most well known number of this kind is Pi (3.1459…) — a constant which completes relationships in fundamental geometric and trigonometric equations. Greek mathematicians used Pi to calculate the radius of the Earth. Pi is an irrational number. Another irrational number is the Golden Ratio (1.61803…). Plants grow new cells in spirals, so they make a new cell, then turn, then make another cell, then turn, and so on. Plants use the Golden Ratio as their fraction of a turn, as it is the most effective rotation for making use of the space around them.
Mathematical patterns exist in all sorts of places on Earth and recent studies suggest there is mirror symmetry existing in the universe as a whole. A new section of the Milky Way Galaxy was discovered recently. By studying this, astronomers now believe the galaxy is a near-perfect mirror image of itself. Scientists believe the galaxy has two major arms and that each arm of the galaxy symbolises a logarithmic spiral that begins at the galaxy’s centre and expands outwards — just like a nautilus shell. Overall, it is clear to see that mathematics has a wide range of practical uses and occurrences in nature.
Moreover, mathematics has a key role to play if we are to be competitive in the present global economy. It is thought that the more mathematical we are, the more successful we will be. Science, technology and engineering are so essential to the future success of our country, that we cannot thrive without having a solid mathematics foundation. Furthermore, mathematics facilitates many other skills, such as creativity, abstract or spatial thinking, critical thinking, reasoning and problem-solving ability.
For me, the best thing about mathematics is the buzz, exhilaration and sheer sense of accomplishment of solving a problem. The problem, however, must be challenging. You might spend hours, days, even weeks trying to solve it or, in the case of Fermat’s Last Theorem, 358 years.
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