Mathematics is such a beautiful subject that calling it a science over art only undermines its divine presence. Someone said that mathematics is the language nature speaks. Why then there is such an aversion and fear regarding this subject which, in general, should appeal directly to our logical minds?
The main reasons why this art has become obscure and scary is because of the way it is being taught by the minds which cease to appreciate its beauty. They tend to treat every subtopic of Mathematics in isolation which negates its status as logical. The development of mathematics has been so organic that if you catch the right first node, you are bound to cover the whole tree step by step.
By dividing mathematics in parts and topics we are depriving our young students from the very vision which bore Mathematics to its present form. All mathematics comes from the need of humans to count. Addition comes from count, so does multiplication and exponents. Logic demands an anti-thesis of all the operations – thus comes forth negative numbers, subtraction, division and logarithms. From multiplication and division we can venture into real numbers. From negative numbers and exponents we can venture into imaginary numbers. Discreet mathematics can be described as a special case of continuous mathematics. The need of continuous mathematics arose from the fact that discreet mathematics fails miserably when it is applied to geometry. This first gave rise to irrational numbers and later on its applications led to the need for dealing of mathematics in a continuous way. Algebra is only a structured way to count. Permutation is another application of a count and probability again is an extension of permutations. Matrix is another way to count. Vector is an extension of geometry and so are the fractals and chaos theory. Trigonometry again is an extension of geometry. The proof of the Pythagoras theorem which is the bearer of trigonometry comes from geometry.
It is an art which comes naturally to human beings. It is an art we all are born with to have a natural inclination towards. It is about patterns, their identification and their representation. It pains me all the more because I have seen both the sides of the coin. I have seen people teaching it pathetically bad and I have seen people teaching it particularly well. I have taught and seen students responding to logic and the connection. I have seen twinkle in their eyes when a particular logic strikes them. I have seen the despair when the mathematics is being taught as social science.
It breaks my heart to hear that Mathematics is being dubbed as a subject for which a student should have an aptitude for. I can understand if a student is not interested in pursuing a stream depending on mathematics because of her other passions but I cannot accept that some of us are born with a gift to understand mathematics while some are not. Mathematics is not just a part of life, it is the life.
