Usefulness of Mathematics

A mathematician’s role in creating patterns

A mathematician is similar to a painter or poet in that he creates patterns. Shapes created by mathematicians can be more critical than those created by poets or painters since they are created with more complicated concepts and thinking, whereas a poet creates patterns with words and a painter creates patterns with paint. Furthermore, the role of ideas in poetry is overestimated, and such things as poetical concepts cannot satisfy a person. A mathematician, on the other hand, has nothing to work with except concepts. As a result, mathematicians’ opinions tend to survive longer than words since they have a lower wear rate (Hardy, 13-14).

The beauty of patterns in mathematics

Additionally, a mathematician must make beautiful patterns like the painters or poets. In this case, the word beautiful is used to mean that the ideas must fit together harmoniously just like the words or colors. However, despite being beautiful, it has been noticed that few people show appreciation to mathematics as compared to other forms of art or patterns like music. Additionally, mathematical topics like trigonometry involve a study of patterns thus making a mathematician become a creator of models.

Mathematicians as pattern makers

Mathematicians are pattern makers because, in mathematics, patterns enable us to create models and study a wide variety of world phenomena. For instance, through patterns we can be able to predict the weather, we can be able to approximate population of the world sixty years from now, know the possibility of a smoker to get cancer at a certain age and many others. All these can get done by the use of mathematical formulas that got derived from various patterns of a particular phenomenon hence showing that a mathematician is a creator of models.

The lasting impact of mathematical patterns

From the discussion above, mathematicians are makers of patterns just like any other form of art. However, mathematical patterns tend to last longer as compared to poetic ones. Additionally, mathematicians create beautiful patterns and these patterns have various uses.

The usefulness of mathematics in daily life

Mathematics has an essential role in our lives. We use math in our daily activities without even knowing it, for example, we use math in the kitchen, shopping, planning for parties and many other things. Additionally, the application of mathematics in our daily life just comes naturally.

Mathematics in the kitchen

First, mathematics is applied in the kitchen. Most activities done in the kitchen require math, for example, counting the number of teaspoons of sugar that are just right for tea or coffee, using the scales to weigh ingredients and even just using the microwave is basic math skills.

Mathematics in gardening

Secondly, even doing an ordinary thing like gardening will require mathematical skills, for example, when you want to plant seeds you need to make holes in the ground and approximate the needed seeds. Furthermore, one needs measuring skills and calculations when undertaking something new in the garden.

Mathematics in shopping

Another daily activity that involves mathematics is shopping. During shopping, we use mathematics to know the total amount of money needed to buy particular items. When purchasing something bigger like a television or handset, math is used to compare prices in different stores and even to know the change of price.

Mathematics in party planning

Mathematics is also useful when planning for parties because you need to know how much it will cost, the number of people attending and what foods will be served and in what amounts.

Problem solving using puzzles and games

Any other idea that I find interesting in mathematics discussion problem solving using puzzles and games where complex mathematical problems can be solved by the use of basic puzzles and games.

Work Cited

Hardy, G H. A Mathematician’s Apology. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2015. Print.