The Endless Pursuit of Mathematics: Why It Continues to Grow and Its Everyday Applications
Very few things in life are closed and finite. Why are there always more books being written? Why are scientists always discovering more? Why does history and knowledge keep growing? So why did you choose math? I would say you find the subject harder than some others. That’s fine; everyone finds some things challenging. However, mathematics is one of the more useful skills you learn and has many applications in everyday life. What many people don’t realize is how much they can use math and how useful it truly is. For example, one day, I went to the shops to check out various prices for different sizes of ketchup. With math, I determined that the cheapest per amount wasn’t the cheapest bottle or even the most expensive bottle, which was also the largest, but rather the second biggest bottle. The supermarket helpfully does a price per unit on the labels but unhelpfully does that in two different units depending on the size of the bottle, so you have to convert in your head.
Hmmm… Why is there more math?
Well, just like the continuous growth in music, art, books, puzzles, and original thinking, there's also an endless pursuit of mathematics. People are always exploring new concepts, and mathematicians constantly contribute to our understanding through research, academic papers, and discoveries. The question is, why does this pursuit continue to grow?
The Continued Growth of Mathematics
Imagine how many people have obtained master’s or PhDs in math and have written countless research papers. It’s virtually impossible to read them all. However, a significant portion of engineering relies on a comparatively limited and unchanging set of mathematical principles. For example, the math needed for electrical engineering is learnable within a few years.
The Root of Mathematics: Logic
At the core of all mathematics lies logic. Unless our species eradicates a flawed form of logic, there is no end to the growth and advancements in mathematics. This continuous pursuit of understanding, proving, and expanding upon logical systems ensures that mathematics remains a dynamic and evolving field.
So why is there always more math? The answer is rooted in the endless pursuit of knowledge and the logical framework that underpins it. Even as we seemingly find answers, new questions arise, leading to further exploration and discovery. In essence, the quest for understanding and the inherent complexity of the world around us drive the ongoing growth of mathematics.