Why do we study mathematics?

The study of the sciences has become more significant than ever as the years have gone by. It is a decisive factor that tells us the direction of where our country is heading; either a few years back or several years into the future.

Imagine a particle, let’s say an electron, traveling in a medium with its fellow electrons. Back then, it was thought that electrons were perfectly spherical point charges that moved around the nucleus the same way as how planets orbit around the sun. This was the classical era of physics. Gustav Kirchhoff in 1857 was the first to identify the connection between the speed of light and the speed of electric signals in a wire. Wilhelm Eduard Weber and Rudolf Kohlrausch in 1856 determined the ratio of electric and magnetic units and found it to be almost exactly equal to the velocity of light. James Clerk Maxwell in the 1860s developed a unified mathematical theory of electromagnetic fields. Finally, J.J. Thomson in 1897 identified the electron as a specific subatomic particle with mass, which allowed him to make the final distinction between the particle’s own physical drift velocity and the speed of the field it produces.

Furthermore, with recent developments in quantum mechanics, we have realized that particles, including the electron, are not even point spheres; a particle can be both a wave and a particle simultaneously while actually being a cloud of probabilities. Albert Einstein, the one behind the theories of relativity, felt dissatisfied with the idea of quantum nature being probabilistic, famously saying, “God does not play dice.”

I used to hate mathematics. I never really paid attention in classes related to science and mathematics during my early junior high school days. I thought it was “too boring” or “too difficult to understand.” But that was because I wasn’t putting effort into understanding the true nature and purpose of science and its language, mathematics.

When I was in Grade 10, I was intrigued by physics. I developed a sense of curiosity and purpose. I found myself questioning my own existence (not an existential crisis, of course) and questioning the world around me. It all started with two simple questions: “What am I?” and “How does it all work?”

With recent developments in physics and mathematics, I learned that math is an essential tool physicists use to prove a phenomenon in our universe without having to see it firsthand. And surprisingly enough, later experiments seem to almost perfectly align with the math that the scientists computed. So, what really is mathematics?

We all know the common title of math being the “language of the universe.” But why? Mathematics was only used for counting and measuring shapes and sizes. But over time, we needed to use the concept of numbers in other forms of measurement like strength, equilibrium, temperature, and area. Civilizations found the utility of numbers to be so useful that, over time, they used the logic it provides to progress their respective nations. But this became a double-edged sword. The moment we learned the power of numbers was also the moment we learned how to create and destroy more efficiently.

So, why do we study mathematics? There is a simple answer, but it is difficult in practice: to make humanity more powerful and advanced, to make life easier. But that’s the practical reason.

I use the language of mathematics to explore the hidden mysteries of the universe and provide solutions that can be useful for everyday practicalities. I use mathematics because I am curious about the “what-ifs.” I use mathematics because it lets me test the limits of the current status quo of knowledge.

Mathematics is the reason why our buildings remain stable. Mathematics is the reason why our GPS exists. Because while physics provides the intuition, the numbers are the tools that we use to make sure that it is less likely for things to go wrong.

As Filipinos, it is our responsibility to make use of our resources to improve our country. To truly fight for our nation, we must acknowledge that mathematics is the actual net external force that pushes progress forward. Because intuition will remain a feeling without the formal proof that mathematics provides. Even if mathematics is not part of your course, it is illogical to grow resentment toward it. How can you hate something that you don’t even know?

It is simply how to build logic and how to effectively link other past logics together so we can reach a meaningful conclusion. It teaches us to be critical and extremely careful with the things that we have in our own hands. It teaches us to be responsible and accountable, and not to let failure be the end of the journey. Because in mathematics and science, failure is just data, not the end of the world.

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Marciano L. Legarde, 17, is a Grade 11 STEM student at Arellano University-Juan Sumulong Campus, deeply obsessed with the beauty of infinite series.