The mathematical method is an interesting one. One that is not as easily understood, by me, as the scientific method. However, I will try my best to express learnings.

First I would like to begin with why the mathematical method and the scientific method are different, and why I, personally, prefer the scientific method. The method is less precise than the scientific method. While the scientific method relies on deductive reasoning, using evidence to come to a conclusion, whereas mathematics uses inductive reasoning- relying on certain axioms and facts to come to a conclusion. I prefer the scientific method, just because you have something to prove and something you can prove. In mathematics, you rely completely on patterns to emerge and find a rule for that pattern. What happens when the pattern stops adhering to the rules? Do you find another pattern? Or do you just accept you found an exception to the pattern? How do you know when to continue using the pattern, or when to find another pattern? The scientific method is more explicit on what to do with such a case –> abandon and find a new rule, which is more definitive and specific.

I think one example of where we use the mathematical method quite prominently is actually in science. Just coming up with little rules of mathematics that help us link our real-life knowledge of the subject to the theoretical aspects of it. Physics, for example, knowing the mathematical value of gravity or the values for other things like constants and uncertainties are all derived using inductive method, of seeing that there is a pattern and deriving a mathematical equation or expression for it. Another subject that uses inductive reasoning is history…in a sense. Most people study history to learn from the events of the past to help them learn about the future…isn’t that in a sense inductive learning? Seeing patterns to avoid repeating them later on?