This spring I enjoyed taking the best course yet at Chalmers — Mathematical Modelling. Hands down to Dag Wedelin for keeping a high pace with excellent tutoring and lectures.
The course was composed by supervised weekly modules, each dealing with different “kinds” of problem solving. The last one, however, was of a more open-ended nature allowing for a personal structure in the report. I’m quite proud of my result since I managed to squeeze in a few interesting arguments that I have been pondering for a long time:
”Personally, I understand concepts better when presented with their opposites, or merely an alternative. Hence, “mathematics as a tool” is for me much more understandable when it can be argued that – for example – constructional calculation could be substituted with intuitive guesses, experienced estimates, or architectural drawings. When building a small cottage, calculating the strength of a stone wall is superfluous, and the measuring of a roof beam unnecessary. The conclusion of this argument is that while real world activities have been getting more and more complex (for example building a bridge), a need for a new “tool” must have emerged. I believe that this tool is mathematics. Just as a hammer is a tool for a blacksmith’s sword, mathematics is a tool for engineers to dress and decorate the world.
The report in it’s glorious 11 pages of LaTeX beauty is available here.
July 21st, 2009
by Ehsan
Interesting post. I like the way you reason! :)