At a very young age, I was already destined to study science, thus going against the gender stereotypes of our society. I am sad when I listen (again?!) to people claiming that mathematics (or science) would be naturally intended for men and that women would not be gifted for this discipline. No doubt, because such an assertion is insane!
I am keen on the world of mathematics because it is free, the freest of all in my opinion.
Learning to perceive, to play with mathematics in such a free world 🙂 Here is the little arithmetic exercise I promised:
Find the result of this sum: Sum = 1 + 2 + 3 + … + 98 + 99 + 100
Thinking upside down (or right side up, depending on your point of view):
Sum = 100 + 99 + 98 + … + 3 + 2 + 1
And then PERCEIVE. Learning can be here. Learning to perceive, to feel.
Sum = 1 + 2 + 3 + ... + 98 + 99 + 100
Sum = 100 + 99 + 98 + ... + 3 + 2 + 1
Having the idea of adding the two lines…
2 x Sum = (1 + 100) + (2 + 99) + (3 + 98) + … + (98 + 3) + (99 + 2) + (100 + 1)
… Then realize that we have 100 times 101 😀
2 x Sum = 100 x 101
Which gives: Sum = (100 x 101) / 2 = 5050.
Magical, isn’t it? Thank you Gauss.
It is this magic of mathematics that I like, that I find aesthetic, elegant. This language to learn, by playing with pleasure, by going towards the limits of perception, even when it is mathematics with abstraction… Often, to solve a problem in mathematics, it is a question of being able to take a step back, to look at what is presented differently. This is what the doctor of mathematics Mickaël Launay invites us to do in his work entitled in French Le théorème du parapluie (The Umbrella Theorem).
To experience this change of perspective, of perception: what a pleasure!