Tag Archives: Maths

ToK

Maths Discussion Thoughts

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What is the role of intuition in mathematics? How about imagination?

I believe that although mathematical knowledge must be proven with rigorous proof, initial ideas are sparked by intuition and imagination.  A mathematician might choose to use certain proofs in order to prove their conjecture based on their own intuition, and then use logical steps to see if it would work.

How important is logic(al reasoning) within Mathematical knowledge?

I think that logical reasoning is required within mathematical knowledge because in order for a conjecture to be believed and be ‘true’ it must be proved with rigour and clear steps to show how one came to that conclusion.

How connected is Maths to the real world?

Although maths might be more involved in topics such as the natural sciences, I believe that it can be used as a measure for other values. Despite that, maths might not always be effective. For example, numerical values have started becoming more popular to measure one’s attractiveness. Many might say that beauty is subjective, however we must admit that there are some people or animals that we would consider “beautiful,” or “cute,” and therefore certain values could be set to determine who is more attractive compared to someone else.

 

Academic

Maths and Me

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My name is Ria, and I just finished the IGCSE course for both Extended and Additional Maths. The add maths course was definitely one of my favourites as I learnt a lot and explored more complex topics in comparison to the extended course. I did have several challenges, however I managed to seek help and work diligently in order to be successful at the end. 

When I think of mathematics, I usually get feelings of anxiety but also excitement. I enjoy learning new mathematical concepts and problem solving, however I am aware that I always face challenges in this subject. I am enthusiastic about starting this course as we get to go further into depth and learn a whole lot more than IGCSE. However, this is a difficult course and I know that it takes me a while sometimes to understand certain topics, so this does make me slightly anxious. 

I would put myself middle-right on this continuum because I am usually an independent worker who likes to problem solve and figure things out by myself. However, in maths, I find that I understand concepts more clearly, when it is explained by others who are more comfortable in this subject. They tend to have several ways of problem solving which I find very helpful. 

In the past, I have usually gone through example answers to questions in order to see how they have worked out that specific question, so that I could apply it to other questions. However most of the time I usually go to other peers or my teacher for help, so that they can explain the question in a clear way. 

My biggest strengths in learning mathematics would be, to be diligent, curious, and to be an inquirer. In this subject, I find myself working with others all the time, and also being interested in what we are learning. This all helps me to get a clear understanding of what we are learning. 

One of my areas of focus for the beginning of maths this year, would be to stay resilient. I am aware that the concepts in this subject are only going to get more challenging, so it is important that I stay persistent with my learning and keep on asking questions in order to improve the level of my learning.