Coach K invites you to rediscover the wonder of math in part 1 of his 4-part series. You’ll see why math is more than numbers—it’s a way to see the world differently.
Do you consider math your ally or your enemy? If you feel math is against you rather than fighting for you, I want to change your perspective. Or, perhaps math isn’t quite as exciting as it used to be, and you need a little "math love." If math were a tree, would it be giving you fruit or only requiring you to prune?
Four Articles To Transform Your Math Perspective
This is part 1 of a 4-part series where I aim to change your perspective on math—or at least give your math energy a boost—so you can approach your next math challenge with a fresh outlook. As you know, there are many branches of mathematics. To gain new insight into those branches, let’s take a journey through some of the roots of math.
In this blog, I’ll share a little bit about my story and explain why math matters. In the next three blogs, I’ll dive deeper into the roots of the math tree.
One Gift That Changed My View of Math
One of my favorite gifts was a license plate I received from my staff at Coaching Actuaries several years ago. It read, "I do math."
I was a math major in college, and I’ve always enjoyed math. After college, I became an actuary and started a business, so math became more about solving business problems. But in 2017, my view of math changed. It shifted when my sister gave me a book on the history of prime numbers.
I usually don’t read history books, so reading one about the history of prime numbers seemed, well, odd (pun intended!). I gave the book a shot. The more I read, the more I enjoyed it—and the more I learned.
Three Reasons To Discover Heroes in Math History
I thought other actuaries and mathematicians might benefit from highlights of what I read. So, I’m choosing three mathematicians who have impacted me the most. I’d rather choose 30, but I want to make this easy to digest.
The impact from these three has been so strong that I’m willing to label them as three of my heroes. I’ll devote one blog to each hero. As I share stories of these mathematicians, I’ll highlight a few lessons I learned from their lives. I’ll also share resources you can explore if you’re interested.
If you’re not fully convinced these next three blogs are worth your time, let me share three reasons to check them out.
1. Math Is Everywhere
First, mathematics isn’t just an incredible topic—it’s everywhere. I see math as nuggets of surprise hidden in life, adding spice to our experiences. You can train yourself to find these nuggets by simply looking. Just the other day, a soccer ball (football for non-Americans) caught my attention. I’ve seen soccer balls hundreds of times.
But this time, I noticed the shapes and patterns. I wondered why and how. I wondered why there are 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons. Then, I recalled a formula by Leonhard Euler, used a little algebra, and suddenly I knew why. I’ll never look at soccer balls the same way again.
2. Math Is About Connections and Curiosity
Second, you may have had a bad experience with math. Perhaps you struggled with it in school. We shouldn’t view math as just numbers, formulas, and problems. But math is much more.
It’s about connecting ideas, uncovering patterns, and finding relationships. It’s about growing in empathy as you discover new perspectives. Math is also about people—people who learned from others and weren’t afraid to ask interesting questions.
3. Less Can Be More
Third, you may wonder why learning about three mathematicians (who lived before the lightbulb was invented) could make your life better. Sometimes living in a world of technology has its downside. We have so little time to stop and think.
More accurately, we choose to invest so little time to stop and think. Less can be more. These mathematicians had less—much less. Less time, less technology, and fewer resources. Yet they changed the world much more than I will—by far.
There’s a debate as to whether math is discovered or invented. It’s probably some of both. I’ll often use the word “discovered” primarily to be consistent. But I’m not trying to analyze whether each new math idea is a discovery or invention—just enjoying the beauty and the journey.
A Final Encouragement
I realize actuarial students have their plates full preparing for exams. I’ve tried to keep this series short and easy for all. My goal is for the next three blogs to give you a fresh perspective on math. But even if you don’t read them, you can still find hidden treasures. Either way, I encourage you to slow down and smell the math.