GA2: Beauty and Geometry
I was just reading about the mathematician Tom Zhang and his fascination with "twin primes."
Please read this interview with this brilliant mathematician and consider at least one of the many things he's saying. Choose something about his views of mathematics and write about it.
To get your creative juices flowing, a couple thoughts I had about the interview include (but are not restricted to):
1. The idea that mathematicians are born, not made.
2. He views math as beautiful and interesting not at all for the application. He loves math for itself and for the way mathematics helps him use his mind.
3. I remembered something I read, written by Harold Jacobs in his Geometry text book from 1974:
Pythagoras was a Greek geometer who lived about 2500 years ago. He wondered whether he could teach geometry even to a reluctant student. After finding such a student, Pythagoras agreed to pay him an obel for each theorem he learned. Because the student was very poor, he worked diligently. After a time, however, the student realized that he had become more interested in geometry than in the money he was accumulating. In fact, he became so intrigued with his studies that he begged Pythagoras to go faster, now offering to pay him back an obel for each new theorem. Eventually, Pythagoras got all of his money back.
Now ok, a bunch of you admitted that you do some math in secret or in ways and times that you didn't think you were actually doing math. A bunch of you claimed that over use of technology contributes to math illiteracy. Will any of you to admit that there's something in math --anywhere -- that you've found lovely, beautiful, cool, interesting, intriguing, puzzling, worth thinking about, or simply fun? Oh, do share!
Please read this interview with this brilliant mathematician and consider at least one of the many things he's saying. Choose something about his views of mathematics and write about it.
To get your creative juices flowing, a couple thoughts I had about the interview include (but are not restricted to):
1. The idea that mathematicians are born, not made.
2. He views math as beautiful and interesting not at all for the application. He loves math for itself and for the way mathematics helps him use his mind.
3. I remembered something I read, written by Harold Jacobs in his Geometry text book from 1974:
Pythagoras was a Greek geometer who lived about 2500 years ago. He wondered whether he could teach geometry even to a reluctant student. After finding such a student, Pythagoras agreed to pay him an obel for each theorem he learned. Because the student was very poor, he worked diligently. After a time, however, the student realized that he had become more interested in geometry than in the money he was accumulating. In fact, he became so intrigued with his studies that he begged Pythagoras to go faster, now offering to pay him back an obel for each new theorem. Eventually, Pythagoras got all of his money back.
Now ok, a bunch of you admitted that you do some math in secret or in ways and times that you didn't think you were actually doing math. A bunch of you claimed that over use of technology contributes to math illiteracy. Will any of you to admit that there's something in math --anywhere -- that you've found lovely, beautiful, cool, interesting, intriguing, puzzling, worth thinking about, or simply fun? Oh, do share!
While I was reading the interview, I noticed that Tom Zhang isn't very talkative but he is a very focused person. He is so quiet because he is thinking. During the questions of the interview, he doesn't ramble on about the questions, he gives a concise answer; a simple yes or no if he can. I thought it was interesting how he didn't show his work to his colleagues because they hardly understood the problem and he wanted to wait until he was done and had finalized a result. This also leads onto where when he finally found an answer he showed no emotion. I found this interesting because I think he just felt relief sweep over him, not being excited or anything; just closure to what he has been working on for so long.
Because Tom Zhang is so quiet and shy, he becomes really focused about his problem. I found this to be a reason to why he would never give up, and just keep trying.It was also interesting that his breaks he had between the solving the problem were listening to classical music and reading novels.He didn't like to watch TV. It felt like Tom Zhang just kept calm during his whole experience and had his ways to stay calm. That is what helped him push through. I like how he says he is famous, but he seems so down-to-earth about it. His personality of being quiet, shy, focused, and calm routed him to success.
Overall, I got the feeling from this interview of Tom Zhang that if you stay focused, determined, and calm you can solve any problem.
