|
A mathematician is a person whose area of study and research is mathematics.
Roles
Mathematicians not only study, but also research, and this must be given prominent mention here, because a misconception that
everything in mathematics is already known is widespread among persons not learned in that field. In fact, the publication of new
discoveries in mathematics continues at an immense rate in hundreds of scientific journals, many of them devoted to mathematics and many devoted to subjects to which
mathematics is applied (such as theoretical
computer science, physics or quantum mechanics).
Problem solving
Contrary to popular belief, mathematicians are not typically any better at adding or subtracting numbers, or figuring the tip
on a restaurant bill, than members of any other profession - in fact some of the best mathematicians are notoriously bad at these
tasks! On the other hand, there are also mental calculators --
prodigies at performing such calculations -- some of whom have moreover been great mathematicians.
Logic and patterns
Mathematicians are typically interested in finding and describing patterns that may have originally arisen from problems of
calculation, but have now been abstracted to become problems of their own. From much published research work of mathematicians,
it may look as if the primary approach of a mathematician is to start with some given assumptions, often called axioms, and then proceed to prove other ideas (theorems) that follow from the assumptions according to exact rules of logic. That, however, is the finished product that gets published; it is not work in progress.
Differences
Mathematicians differ from philosophers in that the primary questions of
mathematics are assumed (for the most part) to transcend the context of the human mind; the idea that "2+2=4 is a true statement"
is assumed to exist without requiring a human mind to state the problem. Not all mathematicians would strictly agree with the
above; the philosophy of mathematics contains
several viewpoints on this question.
Mathematicians differ from physical scientists such as physicists or engineers in that they do not typically perform experiments to confirm or deny their
conclusions; and whereas every scientific theory is always assumed to be an approximation of truth, mathematical
statements are an attempt at capturing truth. If a certain statement is believed to be true by mathematicians (typically
as special cases are confirmed to some degree) but has neither been proven nor disproven to logically follow from some set of
assumptions, it is called a conjecture, as opposed to the ultimate
goal - a theorem that is ultimately true. Unlike physical theories, which may be expected to change whenever new
information about our physical world is discovered, mathematical theories are "static" - once a statement achieves the lauded
position of a theorem, it remains true forever. There still exists experimental mathematics, where the truth of conjectures is probed by testing them on a number of
examples, generally using computers.
History
Mathematics requires one to spend a long time just sitting and thinking to find something of a new approach. Hence,
mathematicians need enough free time to pursue their interest. In fact, in history, mathematicians often come from a wealthy
family. "Legend says that Archimedes was part of the royal family of Syracuse. The Marquis de l'Hospital (1661-1704) was rich enough to hire Johann Bernoulli to instruct him in the new calculus that was then sweeping
Europe." (Dunham, 1994) Nevertheless, there has been the occasional unwealthy, unpaid amateur mathematician who has made important
contributions to the field.
Demographics
As is the case in many scientific disciplines, the field of mathematics has been disproportionately dominated by men. Some
people attribute this to the discouragement of women's active participation. There has been a belief, true or not, that women are
not good at mathematical thinking. Among the few prominent female mathematicians are Emmy Noether (1882 - 1935),
Sophie Germain (1776 - 1831), Sofia Kovalevskaya
(1850 - 1891), Rozsa Peter (1905 - 1977), Mary Ellen Rudin, Eva Tardos and Marianna Csornyei.
Quotes
...beware of mathematicians, and all those who make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians
have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine man in the bonds of Hell.
- -St. Augustine, De Genesi ad Litteram
A mathematician is a machine for turning coffee into theorems
- -Paul Erdös
Jokes
Several old jokes common amongst the scientific disciplines illustrate the difference between the mathematical mind and that
of other disciplines. One goes as follows:
- An engineer, a physicist, and a mathematician are all staying at a hotel one night when a fire breaks out. The engineer wakes
up and smells the smoke; he quickly grabs a garbage pail to use as a bucket, fills it with water from the bathroom, and puts out
the fire in his room. He then refills the pail and douses everything flammable in the room with water. He then returns to
sleep.
- The physicist wakes up, smells the smoke, jumps out of bed. He picks up a pad and pencil and makes some calculations,
glancing frequently at the flames. He then measures exactly 15.6 liters of water into the garbage pail, and throws it on the
flames, which are extinguished. Smiling, he returns to sleep.
- Finally the mathematician wakes up. He too grabs a pad and begins furiously writing; glancing at the flames; and then writing
more. After a while he gets a satisfied look on his face; entering the bathroom, he produces a match, lights it, and then
extinguishes it with a bit of running water. "Aha! A solution exists," he murmurs - and returns to his slumbers.
Another one involves an astrologer, a chemist, and a mathematician on a bus during their first visit to Scotland. They see a
black sheep grazing alone in a pasture as they drive by.
- The astrologer excitedly exclaims, "Ah, this shows Scottish sheep are black!"
- The chemist didactically corrects him: "No, no, it just shows some Scottish sheep are black."
- The mathematician then says, "Actually, we can only be sure there is one Scottish sheep that is half
black."
Links and references
References
- A Mathematician's Apology, by G. H. Hardy. Memoir, with foreward
by C. P. Snow.
- Reprint edition, Cambridge University Press 1992; ISBN 0521427061
- First edition, 1940
- Dunham, William. The Mathematical Universe. John Wiley 1994.
See also
External links
|