Tag: Mathematics

The Beauty of Mathematics

As a ‘language of natural sciences’ ever since antiquity, mathematics has always been a main device for describing and knowing the world. It has assisted to examine the framework of the galaxy. Information acquired through mathematics has not only led to improvement in organic sciences, but to following significant cultural-historical success that have modified everyday life. Merchants, for example, required statistical knowledge for keeping track of and calculating, but it was also essential for calculating time, which progressively started to regulate individuals’ life throughout the season, or for cartography, the art of creating charts of the world and skies, which established the foundation for the conquer of our world.

Mathematics was an allegory for the procedure of purchase that led from chaos to order, which was considered as the essential idea of the source around the globe. “Cosmos” in Greek also indicates “order” and represents the feeling of balance. For Pythagoras, the balance around the globe was based on the fact that everything within it is controlled by statistical percentage. The standard idea of excellence had resided on in Christian thought for a long period. In the Age of Enlightenment, it was again taken up by the Freemasons, with God showing as Creator of the Universe, having the compasses as a indication of His sublime omnipotence.

Mathematics was also an essential source of motivation and one of the essential concepts of official reasoning and rational appearance for art and framework in the last millennium. It provided concepts for the methodical research of components and procedures, both intellectually and materially in art types such as constructivism, concrete art, minimalism, op art and kinetic art. What they all have in common is a clearly described procedure of improvement and the convenience and complete visibility of their means; the stunning aesthetic of primary forms; for example, provides generally recognized visible primary terminology for learning the advanced and intelligent concepts of formal phenomena. The use of methods, in turn, decouples the advance result from the artist’s personal trademark, thus satisfying the responsibility to deconstruct and objectify the procedure of highbrow advanced development and to make it understandable for everyone without exemption.

Mathematics is Fun

We are all conscious of the inadequate condition of our mathematics education and studying to accomplish a sufficient level of grades in math in our primary education and studying program and the effects that this has on our community, e.g. not enough engineers, who need an advanced stage of mathematics, are being qualified. There are many factors for this circumstance.

While we know that there are many factors for this, it is crucial that we need to instill interest and passion for mathematics among all the stakeholders engaged with education and studying, such as the parents. This could be a massive process, but it is one that must be performed.

Mathematics is one of the only places of information that can logically be described as “true,” because its theorems are a result of genuine reasoning. Compared with, say chemistry and physics, where there can be discussion or debate about trial outcomes or concepts, mathematics always symbolizes the truth: 7+5 will always equal 12, it cannot be anything else. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying:  “Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poems of sensible concepts.”  To some specialized mathematicians, “math is like love, a simple concept, but it can get complex.”  The biggest time in the life of a math wizard is when after he has shown the result, but before he discovers the error. This does not matter; the excitements of getting the outcomes exceeds the frustration of discovering the error and, in any situation, spurs him on to recalculate and again experience the high of a new outcome. Charles Darwin, however, had a rather depressing perspective of mathematics: “: “A math wizard is a sightless man in a black space looking for a black cat which isn’t there.”

 

What is Mathematics?

Mathematics is the study that focuses with the reasoning of shape, quantity and agreement. Statistics is all around us, in everything we do. It is the foundation for everything in our everyday life, such as cellular phones, architecture (ancient and modern), art, money, technological innovation, and even sports.

Since the beginning of documented history, mathematics development has been at the leading edge of every civil community and in use in even the most primary of societies. The needs of Mathematics appeared based on the wants of the community. The more complicated a community, the more complicated the mathematical needs. Primitive communities needed little more than the ability to count, but also trusted math to determine the position of the sun and the study of hunting.

Several societies in China, India, Egypt and Central America contributed to mathematics as we know it today. The Sumerians were the first people to create a counting system. Specialized mathematicians designed arithmetic, such as primary functions, multiplication, shape and rectangle origins. The Sumerians’ program passed on through the Akkadian Kingdom to the Babylonians around 300 B.C. Six millennium later, in the United States, the Mayans designed intricate schedule techniques and were experienced astronomers. About this time, the idea of zero was designed. As societies developed, mathematicians started to work with geometry, which determines areas and volumes to make angular dimensions and has many realistic programs. Geometry is used in everything from development to fashion and internal planning.

Geometry went side by side with algebra, developed in the 9th Century by a Persian math wizard, Mohammed ibn-Musa al-Khowarizmi. He also designed quick methods for multiplying and dividing figures, which are known as algorithms, a corruption of his name. Algebra provided societies a way to split inheritances and spend resources. The study of geometry meant mathematicians were fixing straight line equations and techniques, as well as quadratics, and diving into good and bad alternatives. Specialized mathematicians in the old days also started to look at a variety of ideas. With origins in the development of shape, number strategy looks at figurative numbers, the character of figures and theorems.

Humanities Problems

What can we do to make the case for the humanities? Compared with the STEM professions (science, technological innovation, engineering and mathematics), they do not, on the surface, contribute to the nationwide protection. It is challenging to evaluate accurately, their impact on the GDP, or our employment rates or the stock market. And yet, we know in our bones that luxurious humanism is one of the biggest resources of durability we have as a nation and that we must secure the humanities if we are to maintain that durability in the millennium forward. When you ask economic experts to chime in on a problem, the odds are great that we will eventually get around to a primary question: “Is it worth it?” Assistance for the humanities is more than worth it. It is important.

We all know that there has been a reasonable quantity of anger to this concept lately in the Congress and in State Houses around the nation. Sometimes, it almost seems as if there is a National Alliance against the Humanities. There are regular potshots by radio experts and calling to decrease federal funding in education and scholarship in the humanities. It has become stylish to attack the government for being out of contact, swollen, and elitist; and humanities financing often strikes experts as an especially muddle-headed way of federal funding. Because of this, the humanities are in risk of becoming even more of a punching bag than they already are.

In the present economy, these strikes have the potential to move individuals. Any expenses have to be clearly worth it. “Performance funding” hyperlinks federal support to professions that offer high number of jobs. Or, as in a Florida proposal that appeared last year, a “strategic” educational costs framework would basically cost more cash to learners who want to study the humanities and less cash for those going into the STEM professions. As an outcome, there is severe cause for problem. Government support for the humanities is going in the incorrect route. In the fiscal year 2013, the National Endowment for the Humanities was financed at $139 million, down $28.5 million from FY 2010, at some point when science financing remained mostly unchanged. This is part of a design of long-term decrease since the Reagan years.

Overcoming Fear in Mathematics

We all experience stress and anxiety but sometimes our fears of heights, insects or even mathematics can be unreasonable. In fact, mathematics stress, an acknowledged trend, can be a huge hurdle to learning. Fortunately, instructors who understand this can help their learners get over it. Math stress is typical. In 2005, United merican researchers Mark Ashcraft and Kelly Ridley approximated that 20 percent of people in America were extremely math nervous and it is reasonable to believe that the amount here would be similar. Math stress, as American specialist Ray Hembree has described, is the feeling of concern, stress or anxiety experienced along with mathematics.

German psycho therapist Reinhard Pekrun’s work on kids’ stress in regards to accomplishing a particular result helps describe why mathematics stress is so typical. Put simply, we are more likely to be nervous when we extremely value a process, but feel we have no control over it. Math is respected because it is considered an indication of intellect. So, displaying poor statistical capability has effects for how smart you will be recognized to be. Emotions of lack of control could come from the idea that mathematics is difficult, or the idea that you need a math mind to be successful in the subject. These two types of misconceptions cause mathematics stress, but it is the in-congruence, when a university student extremely values a process, but seems they are not in control, that results in stress.

Math stress predisposes learners to be sensitive to statistical stimuli; to experience worry almost instantly after they experience math and to be less capable of employing techniques to control this worry. It can also impact an individual’s capability to run working memory, the type of memory that allows them to hold information in their mind as they complete projects like psychological computations. So what can instructors do to lower mathematics stress and help learners control their psychological response to mathematics? A good first step is to deal with some of the misconceptions that can make learners feel negative towards the topic. They can motivate learners to believe that things like gender generalizations and adverse peer culture should not limit their statistical options. They can also make learners become aware of the many programs of mathematics in many professions and life routes.

Mathematics and Women

Ladies of the past and unfortunately, in the present hear it all the time. Because of their sex, they just cannot do mathematics. And if they can, well, they will never be as good as the men. To put it very generously, this mind-set is not precise, nor is it healthy. Negative generalizations perpetuate a terrible pattern. When flooded with information of their own (allegedly inherited, reasonably false) foibles, girls internalize them. Thus frustrated, they eventually do not execute to the max of their perceptive abilities. Which then gives instructors, parents, and other authority figures “proof” that they should not expect much of their women mathematics learners. That this mind-set continues may directly link with the gradual and struggling growth of women learners specializing in mathematics.

In reality, girls’ abilities and potential for educational accomplishment are no different than boys’. Research confirms that they perform similarly well when getting the identical compliment and support as their male alternatives. Eliminate the generalizations, and we’ll increase the numbers and position of women in mathematics. And fair visibility and knowledge continues to be the biggest way of enhancing this typically marginalized demographics’ information.

It would be a misconception to say that female specialized mathematicians these days benefit from the enthusiastic initiatives and efforts from predecessors. They do, of course, but that announcement only looks into one aspect of these great thinkers’ achievements. The fact is, everyone owes a debt of appreciation to revolutionary females in mathematics. Dedicating themselves to the self-discipline, even if they experienced (or proceed facing) discrimination and dismissal, can motivate anyone of any sex and profession. Their research has also powered mathematics ahead, which in turn, has powered humankind ahead. Although females stay underrepresented in mathematics and relevant sectors, they do not waiver when assisting one another. They form companies and projects to network, provide possibilities, enjoy the most significant titles and motivate more females to decline generalizations and accept number nerdery.

College Level Examination Program Purpose

CLEP (College Level Examination Program) is a program developed to provide learners possibilities to obtain higher education degree credit for certain academic places of study by testing their knowledge through specific placement assessments. CLEP is the abbreviation for College Level Examination Program. CLEP is developed for learners to accomplish higher education credit by passing exams for the appropriate undergrad college programs. Most institutions provide credit and/or placement for passing CLEP exams provided by the College Board.

CLEP exams involve a sequence of multiple-choice questions that are evaluated on a range of 20-80. Most institutions consider a score of 50 a passing grade. However, some academic institutions provide more or less credit according to your ranking and the subject. For example, a score of 50 in Spanish might compensate 6 credits to a college student while a grade of 65 might give 12 credits. Consult with a consultant or CLEP professional at your preferred university to find out the range of credit given for a particular discipline.

As of 2007, CLEP exams are provided in the following areas:

Business

  • Financial Accounting
  • Intro Business Law
  • Information Systems & Computer Applications
  • Principles of Management
  • Principles of Marketing

Composition & Literature

  • American Literature
  • Analyzing & Interpreting Literature
  • English Composition
  • English Literature
  • Freshman College Composition
  • Humanities

Foreign Languages

  • (Check with the school for foreign language CLEP exams offered)

History & Social Sciences

  • American Government
  • Intro to Educational Psychology
  • History of the United States I, II (Early Colonization to 1877 / 1877 to Present)
  • Human Growth & Development
  • Principles of Macroeconomics
  • Principles of Microeconomics
  • Intro to Psychology
  • Social Sciences & History
  • Intro to Sociology
  • Western Civilization I, II (Ancient Near East to 1648 / 1648 to Present)

Science & Mathematics

  • Biology
  • Calculus
  • Chemistry
  • College Algebra
  • College Mathematics
  • Pre-calculus
  • Natural Sciences

Communicating Mathematics

Does talking about mathematical ideas keep your viewers bored?  Does writing the mathematical areas of an assignment or review make your wheels spin or writer’s block?  It does not need to be this way. Students and experts from many professions are required to regularly create and talk about ideas that contain mathematics ideas.  The following guidelines have been developed to increase your mathematics interaction abilities.

1) Aim to be understood! – Mathematical interaction is just like all other types of interaction. The aim is to successfully express an idea.  Ask yourself: what is the primary concept you want to relay?  Desire to discuss these mathematical ideas in a way that instills knowing, involvement and fascination within your audience.

2) Who is your audience? How
much mathematics do they know? – Tailor your demonstration or review towards the needs, passions and mathematical qualifications of your viewers. If they have just moderate information of mathematics, then it will be of little benefit to talk about the accurate information of innovative mathematical ideas. Rather, keep your concept as simple and appropriate as possible by working on primary, contextualized illustrations and special situations which
can be used to light up the “big picture”.

3) Motivate first! Then present the mathematics. – Begin by featuring the inspiration for the mathematics included within.  For instance: talk about any technical or economic enhancements that have lead from the statistical area under consideration; or some amazing traditional improvements related to the mathematics; or even  an entertaining statistical story. This will contextualize the mathematics to the viewers and fight any potential negative behavior towards the topic, like recognized irrelevance. Once the viewers are inspired and involved, their thoughts are more open and it is possible to talk about the mathematical ideas.

4) Start with easy illustrations and break complicated ideas down! – Audiences tend to best understand mathematics through the demonstration of easy and contextualized illustrations, rather than from subjective ideas. Start with statistical illustrations that are basic, understandable and relevant to your audience’s passions, background and capabilities. If more complicated statistical ideas come later, then break the ideas down into smaller understandable sections.

Gender Gap in Mathematics

The misconception that men exceed females in the mathematics and science fields has persisted for decades. However, scientists from Brigham Young University, University of Miami and Rutgers University recently conducted a study to challenge that misconception and the gender gap associated with it. In their report, which was already released by the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization and showed up in a EurekAlert public launch Feb. 25, scientists determined females are as efficient as men in mathematics when changing the conditions of a competitive environment.

Joe Price, the lead specialist of the research and an associate lecturer of business economics at BYU, said the idea for his research occurred out of a couple of main issues. “We’re getting to the point where there are more ladies in college than young boys, but there are some careers that men are much more represented,” Price said. He detailed CEOs and associates in law companies as a several examples of generally male-dominated careers. “If women don’t do as well in aggressive configurations, they will not do as well in these careers or will fall out of those careers.”

Price said this was one reason why he and scientists started learning the gender gap’s existence in educational and aggressive surroundings. With the increase of female’s registration in higher education, he said it has become progressively important for scientists to examine the causes and solutions of gender gaps. Between 2000 and 2010, colleges underwent a 39-percent increase in women registration, as opposed to 35-percent increase among men, according to a review by the Institute of Education Sciences. This number is predicted to improve significantly over the next several years. Price said a part of his inspiration for the research was personal. He is a mathematics fanatic and a dad of two girls. “[I was] really inspired to find mathematical contests that ladies could flourish in,” he said.

Mathematics is Beautiful

Darwin mentioned his concept of natural selection without mathematics at all, but it can describe why mathematics works for us. It has always seemed to me that evolutionary methods should choose for living forms that reply to nature’s real simplicities. Of course, it is difficult to know in common just what simple styles the universe has. In a sense, they may be like Plato’s ideal types, the geometrical designs such as the group and polygons. Apparently, we see their subjective perfection with our mind’s eye, but the real world only roughly understands them. Considering further in like fashion, we can sense easy, stylish ways to see dynamical systems. Here is why that matters.

Imagine a primate ancestor who saw the journey of a rock, tossed after fleeing prey, as a complex matter, difficult to estimate. It could try a tracking technique using rocks or even warrior spears, but with restricted success, because complex shapes are confusing. A relative who saw in the stone’s journey an easy and elegant parabola would have a better possibility of forecasting where it would drop. The cousin would eat more often and presumably recreate more as well. Sensory cabling could strengthen these actions by creating a feeling of authentic satisfaction at the vision of an artistic parabola.

There’s a further choice at work, too. To hit running prey, it’s no good to think about the issue for long. Rate forced selection: that primate had to see the beauty fast. This forced intellectual capabilities all the harder, plus, the satisfaction of a full tummy. We come down from that grateful cousin. Baseball outfielders learn to sense a ball’s diversions from its parabolic descent, due to air pressure and wind, because they are building on psychological handling equipment perfectly updated to the parabola issue. Other appreciations of natural geometrical ordering could appear from tracking techniques on smooth flatlands, from the brilliant design of simple resources, and the like. We all discuss an admiration for the appeal of convenience, a feeling growing from our roots. Simplicity is evolution’s way of saying, this works. Mathematics is simplicity at its finest.