1. WHAT IS MATHEMATICS FOR YOU?

Mathematics is the abstract study of topics such as quantity , structure, space, and change. There is a
range of views among mathematicians and philosophers as to the exact scope and definition of
mathematics.

2. WHERE DO YOU APPLY THE PRINCIPLE OF MATHEMATICS?

I apply the principles of mathematics to all facets of my life. By principles, I take it you mean the
underlying premise of mathematics which is way more than just operating on numbers. Abstraction,
logic, rigor, deduction, and proof are all very powerful tools at our disposal to apply to almost any
problem in any situation arising in life.

3. DO YOU NEED MATHEMATICS EVERYDAY? WHY?

Yes. Well its because Math helps us think analytically and have better reasoning abilities. Analytical
thinking refers to the ability to think critically about the world around us. Reasoning is our ability to
think logically about a situation. Analytical and reasoning skills are essential because they help us solve
problems and look for solutions. While it may seem far-fetched to believe that solving the train problem
above can help you solve a problem in your life, the skills that you use in framing the problem,
identifying the knowns and unknowns, and taking steps to solve the problem can be a very important
strategy that is applicable to other issues in life.

4. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM SCHOOL ON MATHEMATICS SO FAR?

I learned sufficient mathematics from school to become a new one. I used mathematics every day
including geometry, trigonometry, algebra, matrices, calculus and differential equations. I still use
mathematics today.

5. DO YOU APPRECIATE MATHEMATICS? WHY OR WHY NOT?

Of course. It is the universal language of science, engineering, and just about everything else. Without
math, we could not do much. How would we have known how much fuel to use to get people to the
moon, or much propulsion was necessary to escape earth’s gravity? I appreciate math because it let’s us
design things without having to do a lot of expensive and time-consuming trial-and-error experiments. I
appreciate math because it often gives us physical insight about how things work and let’s us efficiently
communicate that information to other people. If we ever meet intelligent aliens, math will be the first
common language. Math also gives us great computer graphics!

6. DID YOU EVER PERFORMED WELL IN MATHEMATICS? WHY OR WHY NOT?

Not as much but I have done well in mathematics because of using online resources and by repeating
processes. To do well at a higher level, you need to practice, practice practice. Watching videos and
watching other people do stuff will not help you unless you don’t understand what's going on. You gotta
start attacking problems to learn how to do them.

7. WHO IS FIBONACCI AND WHAT DID HE DO?

The "greatest European mathematician of the middle ages", his full name was Leonardo of Pisa, or
Leonardo Pisano in Italian since he was born in Pisa,Italy (see Pisa on Google Earth), the city with the
famous Leaning Tower, about 1175 AD.

He was one of the first people to introduce the Hindu-Arabic number system into Europe - the positional
system we use today - based on ten digits with its decimal point and a symbol for zero:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0.

8. WHY DID FIBONACCI BECOME FAMOUS?

Fibonacci is considered to be one of the most talented mathematicians of the Middle Ages. Few people
realize that it was Fibonacci that gave the world the decimal number system (Hindu-Arabic numbering
system), which replaced the Roman numeral system. When he was studying mathematics, he used the
Hindu-Arabic (0-9) symbols instead of Roman symbols, which didn't have zeros and lacked place value.
In fact, when using the Roman numeral system, an abacus was usually required. There is no doubt that
Fibonacci saw the superiority of using Hindu-Arabic system over the Roman Numerals.

9. AROUND WHAT YEAR WAS FIBONACCI SEQUENCE INVENTED?

Leonardo Fibonacci discovered the sequence which converges on phi. In the 1202 AD, Leonardo
Fibonacci wrote in his book “Liber Abaci” of a simple numerical sequence that is the foundation for an
incredible mathematical relationship behind phi.

10. WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF MATHEMATICS IN EVERYDAY LIVING?

Mathematics makes our life orderly and prevents chaos. Certain qualities that are nurtured by
mathematics are power of reasoning, creativity, abstract or spatial thinking, critical thinking, problem-
solving ability and even effective communication skills.