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Why mathematics? — a high-school discussion
Mathematics can be very polarizing: to some it is a subject they have to learn at high school or university, while for others, it is hard to imagine a world without mathematics. With different attitudes, both ends of the spectrum may face the question: Why mathematics? On the one hand, that question may sound more like: Why do we (have to) do mathematics at all? On the other hand, the question may sound more like: What is it that makes mathematics so appealing, so unique and universal?
To try a different format than usual (feedback welcome!) here is a short fictional conversation among a clique of 4 high-school students during their lunch break. Sam: very skeptical about doing mathematics at all. Emmy: very practically minded, focused on the applications of mathematics. Sophie: critical thinker, open to mathematics, but questioning everything on purpose. Mateo: math enthusiast.
Sam: I’m glad that lesson is over. Why is everyone at school forced to learn mathematics?
Sophie: Yeah, that’s a good question. It seems to frustrate a lot of people. Why all this suffering?
Emmy: You know that mathematics is really important for our society, don’t you? Mathematics is applied everywhere, it is the traditional foundation of science and technology. A lot of ancient mathematics was developed to fulfill the…
