Gardenlover
The world needs more love
"But in mathematics facts are just facts. There is no arguing. There is no left-wing or right-wing algebra. There is no sin in geometry and no guilt in trigonometry. - The Life Impossible: A Novel by Matt Haig
Math - no shades of gray
- Thread starter Gardenlover
- Start date
Warrigal
SF VIP
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
Mathematics is actually based on facts that are derived from a few basic premises and definitions.
Maths is something that we have constructed. It is useful, which is why it is taught in the first place.
Tommy
Senior Member
- Location
- New Hampshire
Pure mathematics is not subjective but neither is it generally very useful. Applied mathematics can be very subjective.
VaughanJB
Scrappy VIP
Ah, if only such a statement could have a line drawn under it.
However, it's in the communication and interpretation of "facts", be it mathematical or otherwise, is where things go awry.
There is an undercurrent of distrust of Science these days (which is largely concerned with math). But it's not the science that is to be mistrusted, it's in the financing and communication of results that should be of concern. What a result means is often not fact based.
Michael Z
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern Wisconsin
I strongly believe that mathematics was not created but rather a language that was discovered. It is a language that offers explanations for all scientific events. Nobody invented PI. Nobody invented Eulers Number 2.7182818… as an essential quantity to explain continuous compounded growth. As such, mathematics has a divine nature to it.
Oldeagle66
Senior Member
I am terrible at math and surprised I even got through algebra in college. I still prefer doing my budget with just a piece of paper, pen and numbers in my head.
Aunt Bea
SF VIP
- Location
- Near Mount Pilot
I enjoyed bookkeeping/accounting because everything had to balance to the penny.
One of my first jobs was posting and balancing the daily ledger for a small local bank on a machine very similar to this one.
Gradually standards were relaxed and it was considered a waste of time to look for small differences.
It seems like one of our biggest problems, in my lifetime, has been the acceptance of lower standards in just about every area of our lives.
One of my first jobs was posting and balancing the daily ledger for a small local bank on a machine very similar to this one.
Gradually standards were relaxed and it was considered a waste of time to look for small differences.
It seems like one of our biggest problems, in my lifetime, has been the acceptance of lower standards in just about every area of our lives.
fuzzybuddy
SF VIP
- Location
- The Sticks, Northeast PA.
Mathematics is a science. And like all sciences, math has provable facts. But the interpretation of those facts is a human function, and as such can vary over time.