Philosophy of Mathematics
Do you ever wonder what is math? Is it just the study of numbers, patterns and measurements? Or is it an interdisciplinary language? Math is a way of life. It is a building block for everything that we do in our life from day to day. It is continuously all around us, whether we notice it or not. We use it to figure out how much money is in our bank account, the amount of our paycheck, the cost of gas and even the total for our personal shopping. Whatever we do we cannot escape the fact that math is behind it.
As a mathematician we are always wondering “why” or “how” something occurs. We are critical thinkers and we take any given opportunity to use math as much as possible. We use basic algebra to figure out how much our grocery bill will be before the cashier presents our total and calculate the change expected back before the cashier even has a chance to open the cash draw. We use statistics to collect data on our favorite athletes to guarantee we have the best team in fantasy football. As we sit at a baseball game we try to figure out, using calculus, how the players are able to use velocity, speed and the perfect angle to hit home runs.
As a student at Mount Saint Mary College the math professors not only taught us what math is but actually how to apply math in our life. We were taught to think outside the box, to find better ways to solve problems using different methods. Given these skills we can better relate to into fields where these concept are highly valued. With our analytical thinking and constant urge to solve problems we are able to contribute a different look in everyday life.