The Solved, The Unsolved, and Everything in Between

              In my 18 years of existence, I have been faced with math problems that I have been successful in solving and math problems that I have failed to come up with a convincing and decent answer into. I think that makes math interesting. It fuels a person’s craving and satisfaction of coming up with a correct answer and right understanding. This aspect of Mathematics was highlighted in the last journey of Marcus du Sautoy in The Story of Maths episode entitled “To Infinity and Beyond” as he unveiled the journey of the different mathematicians revolving on Mathematics and their struggles.

               David Hilbert who conceptualized the idea of infinity suffered from manic depression and paranoia. It was Mathematics that gave him the mental strength to get back up. Aside from this, despite the conception that most mathematicians are non-believers, Hilbert was different. Even though he has discovered a major mathematical concept, he still believed that the final paradox is not given to us to understand but God does.

            On the other hand, Kurt Godel who was a close friend of Einstein also had a rough journey. His theorems were questioned. These challenges led into breakdowns. He became pessimistic and became paranoid. He drifted away from his friends and just wandered off to the ocean. This simply shows that mathematicians also have a heart.

           Gawa, a young mathematician, who discovered a solution to find out whether problems have a solution died at an age of 20 years old. He was smart and could have imparted more mathematical contributions if only he did not take his life with a gun. However, this just simply tells us that mathematicians are human beings who have faced the same challenges normal people do.

  They also experience failures. Inside their huge brains are not just mathematical statements but problems onto how they could overcome failures and prove themselves to others. While some of them learned to rise above them, some also get wallowed up. Little did they know that despite having those struggles, their theorems made a great mark in the history of Mathematics and have made the world better for everyone. These Mathematicians taught me that it is not always about the problem, it’s how you deal with the problem.

  Sofia Covaleskia, for example, is the first woman to be elected in the Junior American Mathematical Society. Despite being sickly and being brought up in a small town, she did not give up. She also was one of the mathematicians that there is no mathematical method or approach in solving problems.

   These Mathematicians did not only leave the new generation with their mathematical discoveries. They have also left us with a challenge to keep on trying to know and keep on believing that we can know the answers to problems. May it be a solved or an unsolved one, we contribute into driving Mathematics and their legacies into infinitely many years to come.