Preface
In this long essay, I will explore the wonderful world of mathematics in hope of drawing a more clear picture of what mathematics really is and emphasis the importance of mathematical thinking as a skill that can drastically change one's life for the better.
Throughout school, I was an average student. Or better to say I started school strongly and finished up university poorly (just above the failure line). Many factors were involved in such a process. When I think back, probably the most important reason was that I was interested in subjects which I could understand the applications of it in real life. As I grew older, the true purpose and application of different subjects moved away from my understanding, and gradually I have lost interest in them. For example, even though I always like maths because of its puzzle like nature, I couldn't understand why I'm learning about calculus and in what way it is useful for me? At the same time, I found my interest in programming and since I could understand and directly see the application and usefulness of it in my daily activities, I grew to like more and more.
It was only a few years after graduating from the university that I began to understand mathematics and science truly. I took me several years and to be frank, I think I have more to understand still. But the bright side of things was that, everything fell in place, things started to click and the cloud of confusion and distortion were cleared from my vision. Regret found its way to my heart, and I wished I knew all this while I was in high school or university. I thought, I'm late to the game and everyone else already knows about all this. It turned out that I was wrong.
Most of us live our lives without the need to resort to mathematics, or at least that is what we think. We don't see the need to use mathematics in different aspects of our daily life. Usually, there is no gap that requires mathematics to fill it. To someone with a basic understanding of mathematics, it might sound normal. But it puts cringe on the faces of those who understand the way of mathematics and science.
The way of science and mathematics is what that makes the difference. It helps us to think better, avoid common pitfalls in life, and live better in general. In this series of essays, I will explore “the way of science and mathematics” and will do my best to help you gain a clear understanding of what mathematical thinking means and how to achieve such a skill.