Mathematics, Education, and Music?

Mathematics, Education, and Music?

This article is very interesting in bringing up points and ideas of mathematics that I had never thought of. Dr. Heinz Gotze states that Mathematics is much like music. After Beethoven would play, he goes on, people wouldn't say "Hey, what was the use of that?". People, however, constantly are trying to determine the purpose of mathematics. The truth is there is no set purpose. Math is not a well discussed topic, and an even less researched topic. People automatically assume that it is a drudging life of adding, subtracting, dividing, and multiplying. The fact is that Mathematicians are more artist, than engineer, at least according to Dr. Gotze. Mathematicians mathematize, in order to appreciate and understand mathematics. But then taking this article, one could also apply it to the sciences and say that a chemist is an artist. The chemist mixes things and tweaks with experiments in the hope of creating something useful. Something beautiful that could save lives. For this reason he too could be called an artist.

The artist also says that mathematics education and mathematics training are associated. They are two completely different ideas that should be treated as such. Math training he says is parents expecting their children to learn proper algebra and geometry. The thing is though, these skills are useless without mathematics training. Training is taking what you know, learning you what you don't, and then applying it. It's great for a kid to say I know geometry, but what good is it if the person doesn't know how they can put that knowledge to good use. Dr. Gotze believes that training is more important. Overall I would say the article was very interesting and brought out an assortment f fresh ideas and viewpoints.