Hall 123

The Value of Math for Non-math Folks

K P Mohanan

IISER Pune (Retd) and ThinkQ

In this talk, I propose that the value of Math education for those whose professions do not require specialization in Mathematics lies in the following capacities and qualities of mind:

a) the power of imagination, insight, and abstraction for inventing mathematical theories
b) the intuition for coming up with axioms and definitions, guessing conjectures, and discovering proofs
c) the rigour of thinking and reasoning needed for evaluating (b)
d) the clarity and precision of thinking and communication in formulating and justifying (b).

These qualities of mind and abilities, though characteristic of Math, are valuable in all academic disciplines, as well as all domains of life.
I will show how (a)-(d) can be nurtured among school students using examples of activities that can be used in an 8th or 9th Grade classroom.

(Visit www.iiserpune.ac.in/~mohanan/ to learn more about Mohanan's work.)