Whether one has gained an interest towards Mathematics or not, they can’t deny how this body of

knowledge has been able to permeate the intricate webs of life – from large pieces of matter, down to the
smallest of molecules. More than being a mere body of knowledge studied in the academe, I’ve grown to
see Mathematics as something that entails more than numbers, algorithms and whatnot. Over time, I
realized that the core essence of Mathematics lies in understanding how it works and what it stands for. In
other words, Mathematics is all about identifying patterns and recognizing representations.

However, we can never get to fully understand something if we stick to one perspective. This is
the beauty of Mathematics – it challenges us to analyze situations in different narratives. As someone
who places her identity in God as a Roman Catholic, I agree with the famous proverb that God is the
greatest mathematician known to us. Even with centuries of mathematical innovations, humankind’s
feeble attempts at mathematics has only enabled us to understand a tiny portion of how the universe
works. We may never quite understand it for its entirety, but it’s amazing how God has brought various
philosophers and mathematicians together to put forward their claims regarding Mathematics – some of
which were debunked, and some that are still used as conventions today. Regardless if their definitions of
Mathematics are based on their spiritual views, or their worldly understanding, one thing remains to be
true: that it is blaringly evident around us, enough for different narratives to come into play.

The fundamental importance of numbers is highlighted in the daily lives of all individuals.
Although it is mostly studied as a pure science, its manifestations extend beyond other disciplines – in
medicine, engineering, physics, business, tourism, and more. Numbers are essential in keeping up with
today’s systematic conjunctures; they are ultimately the backbone of how everything works. As I’ve
mentioned in the introductory paragraph, we see these numbers as patterns and representations, which
are deciding factors on how an individual perceives reality. Without these constructs, we will have a
harder time making sense of the world. We see this importance in situations that require us to use
numbers: in telling the time, in computing for a budget cut, in describing statistical models, in using
geometry to understand symmetry or asymmetry of shapes and objects, or even in paying for your
student fees.

We see this importance in the very walls that surround us: numbers can explain the science
behind how your home was built. We see it in disaster mitigation, where casualties caused by calamities
are assessed using statistics and probability. We see it in hospitals in MRI scans, which use advanced
mathematics to come up with tomography that can help doctors assess patients.

At the heart of a continuously advancing world through math, it’s vital for us to recognize and
consider how it interconnects everyone and everything. After all, these endless connections and
possibilities shape who and what we are.