Why Math?

Date: 3/25/96 at 14:47:45
From: JAK
Subject: Why math?

Why do you like math so much? It's a pain in the butt! ;) 

Date: 9/28/96 at 21:33:7
From: Doctor Sydney
Subject: Re: Why math?

Dear JAK,

I know math can seem like a huge pain sometimes, but a lot of higher 
mathematics is very beautiful.  I know, I know, you probably don't 
believe me, but a lot of people think of math as an art form at its 
abstract levels. For instance, one of my favorite concepts in math is 
infinity.  Mathematicians have studied infinity very carefully, and 
they have found that there are different "sizes" of infinity.  For 
example, the set of counting numbers, {1, 2, 3, ...}, is infinite, but 
it is "smaller" then the infinite set of all real numbers (all numbers 
on the number line, like 2, 1/2, the square root of two, pi, etc.)  

Practically speaking, math is extremely useful in every science.  Keep 
plugging away!  I hope you enjoy it.

-Doctor Sydney,  The Math Forum
 Check out our web site!  http://mathforum.org/dr.math/