How Seasons Change is What Mathematics Is

Indeed, in this world, everything is dynamic. With the fast changing technology signifies the mark of new bodies of knowledge that is continuously generated as human beings improve the world they live. The complexities we see today are caused by these changes.

            Changes. These are what I saw on the third part of “The Story of Maths” entitled “The Frontiers of Space”. It’s amazing to think how mathematical ideas and hypotheses travel from place to place. This part of the series showed how Europeans spawned new theories in math. In middle school, I’ve learned how to use the Cartesian plane. However, I have not wondered even a bit on how it was created. Rene Descartes that lived in a small village in France was able to comprehend an easier technique to represent different problems. I appreciate how the series made coherence between the establishment of the Cartesian plane, its history, developments and the man that caused it all. The linkage of algebra and geometry through this was well associated and represented, resulting to more developments. This made me understood that behind the difficulties of mathematics lies the idea that these were all made to improve and make life easier.

            I remembered that in elementary, prime numbers were taught. I believe that an ordinary person would never imagine how these numbers contribute to modern technology. A wider understanding was provided to me by the series as Marcus du Sautoy examined the discovery of Pierre Fermat. Just by seeing this part of the series made me realize that changes are indeed important in order to form concepts that can be discovered by these ‘changes’. In this sense, the applications of prime numbers to modern technology are the result of these dynamism.

            Almost everybody knows Isaac Newton, I believe. As a matter of fact, in my view as a science major in the university, Newton is indeed a very historical genius that needs to be acknowledged forever. The information given by the series on the life of Newton was very interesting. I learned how normal his life was but because of his curiosity, he became legendary. Who would ever think that the falling of a fruit from a tree would provide theories in engineering as well as in other mathematical fields today?

            All these discoveries were very significant in the development of the new era. These all can be applied in various ways and could cover space as well. This part of the series made me think that inquiries lead to changes and these changes form ideas that can give impact in future generations.