When will I Ever Use This?

Introduction

The Real Maths Problem

'Useless.' 'Pointless.'

'Unusable.'

Ricocheting off the walls of every maths class, these words often form the groundwork of high school students' attitudes and mindsets towards the subject and all of its forms.

Hold on. Stop reading, and reflect with me. Have you ever found yourself sitting in your maths class, thinking to yourself, 'When am I ever going to use this?' Your answer to that was either 'yes', or a lie.

But, if I asked you the same question about a PE Class, your answer would probably be 'no'. Nobody wonders to themselves, 'When am I ever going to play soccer?' or 'When am I ever going to need to do push ups?' That much-dreaded question is entirely mathematics' burden.

Now, in order to tackle this question, we need to uproot it and discover where it stems from. Based on what we have observed all around us as high school students, we believe the primary cause of this confusion is the age-old misapprehension that mathematics is a subject for the men and women of science and has no place in any alternate stream of academia, let alone outside of it, in the day-to-day lives of the common man. If you've fallen prey to this, you're in the right place. We've curated two volumes that explore the various applications of this limitless subject in all walks of life. These books aim to rid the high school community of the misconceptions surrounding the language of mathematics in order to allow the true value of the subject to prevail and be known to all students. Volume 1 (which you're reading right now!) is designed to show you the usefulness of mathematics in a plethora of varying career paths, as well as to depict how mathematics has enabled success for numerous people who have applied it to their careers. Volume 2, on the other hand, portrays how mathematics need not only be applied to a work environment, but can also come of great use in one's everyday life. It also includes some unexpected places wherein mathematics can be applied, such as to one's love life or to solve a perplexing murder mystery.

Mathematics is the only language that is truly universal in nature, which applies to everything and everyone, transcending all the boundaries of race, culture, religion, career, and country. Mathematics is a universally cherished tool that enables us to identify and analyse patterns, to quantify relationships, and to predict trends and future occurrences. Mathematics is essential to each and every one of us in today's interdependent and

inter-connected world as it helps us to observe these connections and broadens our understanding of the way this world functions. Understanding global perspectives and developing the mindset of a truly global citizen is unattainable without mathematics and mathematical thinking as it provides us with an atypical way of observing typical occurrences, thus permitting us to understand different perspectives and explanations.

I'm sure, whilst reading that last paragraph, many of you would have thought, 'But I just don't get maths.' This is one of the most common misconceptions prevalent among high-schoolers. The misunderstanding that people who are good at maths come by their skill naturally is often a major factor involved in students' decision to drop maths as a subject and study it only so long as it is absolutely necessary. Contrary to this popular belief, the maximum of mathematics is not about natural talent, but rather about testing your personal approach to learning. If one approaches the subject with a pessimistic mindset, they're setting themselves up for failure. Mathematics is a skill, just like throwing a ball or swinging a bat; the success is directly proportional to practice and perseverance. Every renowned mathematician was once just another boy/girl, like you and I.

Another thought that many of you may have is, 'But I don't need maths for what I want to pursue.' The study of maths is rarely considered an artistic or creative endeavour and is almost always looked at as a 'Scientific Subject'. However, the versatility of mathematics prevents it from being categorized into either science or art. The creative side of numbers is almost always overlooked in high school, but in many universities across the globe Mathematics majors receive an Arts degree, while many other universities offer a Science degree for the same study. Furthermore, historica lly, mathematics has presented itself in surprising ways in many of the world's most celebrated artworks, ranging from Beethoven's symphonies to Van Gogh's Starry Night.

Now, we are aware that many career paths such as those of scientists, pilots, engineers, economists, computer scientists, etc. include a vast number of mathematical concepts in their day-to-day functions, and that a high level of mathematical proficiency is expected of the students trying to enter this field. However, we have not included these professions under the 'Career Paths' section of this book. We have done this because those who intend to pursue these career paths are likely to be (or at least should be) well aware of the fact that they will need to use an extensive amount of mathematics in their future studies and jobs. The primary aim of this book is to prove that every career requires mathematics, which is why we have tried to focus on unconventional career paths wherein the application of mathematics would come as a surprise. Also, it would be impossible to fit even close to all of the mathematics required in the conventional fieldsm one book. Therefore, if you're an aspmng engineer/scientist/economist/computer scientist/etc., and want to learn more about the mathematics involved, we would recommend research about a specific stream of the field you find intriguing.

In addition, we are well aware that maths can feel monotonous sometimes (we're students too!) . Therefore, in order to make it more exciting for you (and us) we've added a number of references from beloved sitcoms and movies in the chapters to make it more exciting as well as to help you reinforce what you've learnt in a fun and engaging manner!

The wonders of mathematics can be seen all around us and are barely limited to the working world. Every single day, every single one of us uses maths in different forms without even realizing it. We often find mathematics embedded in mundane practices in the most unexpected ways. It holds the answer to the problems mankind faces every day, and holds solutions simply waiting to be excavated and used.

Through these books, we aim to uncover the hidden power mathematics allows its user to wield, and all of the benefits the numbers could bring to you, your career, and the rest of your life. Unlike other books you may have chanced upon, this one doesn't require you to read it from cover to cover. Simply refer to the index and flip to whichever chapter that catches your eye, without the worry of being lost or confused. We strongly recommend checking out:

• A Match Made m Maths: The Story of OKCupid

• Construction and Architecture: Laying the (Mathematical) Foundations

• Interior Design: Patterns and Proportionality

• Medical: Clinical Calculations

• Politics: Presidential Predictions

Gear up for pages of astounding information, a cornucopia of surprises, and a plethora of lame (maths) jokes we thought were pretty funny.

The Importance of Mathematical Thinking

'Math is not just what we heard about in high school, the known and straightforward part of the subject.

There are all sorts of interesting theoretical and applied problems out there.'

Steven Strogatz[l1

If you have ever been through the schooling system, you have probably heard the words 'mathematical thinking' thrown around endlessly, both within and outside the classroom.

You may have been told innumerable times by your teachers and/or your parents that this undefined concept was the secret to success and guaranteed better scores, better grades, and a better life. This section aims to depict to you why and how they were right by outlining the significance of mathematical thinking in our lives.

However, to do so, we must first understand what exactly 'mathematical thinking' refers to.

Mathematical thinking is a lot more than the ability to get a perfect score on your algebra test or being able to solve the most complicated problem in the textbook. Rather, it is a unique thought process that allows the thinker to view every aspect of the world differently, under a more analytical lens. It allows the thinker to break every little

circumstance down to its roots and building blocks, and pick them apart until a pattern is identified. This approach to problems and incidents subdues the whims and calls of intuition, allowing the thinker to keep themselves thinking rationally and searching for evidence no matter what the situation may be.

Now, how can we achieve such a state of mind?

That is where schooling comes into play. The education system teaches students to use every mathematical concept the designated course has to offer by providing them with detailed explanations and enabling them to practice the concepts on their own. However, students often lose themselves in the series of tests, exams, and assignments, and don't pay attention to understanding where the maths they are learning will come of use to them. We believe that the most efficient way to attain the ability to think mathematically is to identify the wonder and beauty in every concept while trying to find out where it can be applied outside of conventional careers and jobs. Although it may sound easier said than done, a simple read of this book will show you how even the most insignificant-appearing topics could play a significant role in your days beyond academia.

This book aims to enable students and adults alike to find the real-world relevance of every topic they've been taught in high school, and to show them unexpected ways in which those concepts could aid and support them throughout their lives. We hope you enjoy this journey we are about to take you on, and would like to thank you for joining us in our endeavour to make mathematical thinking commonplace.

Happy reading!

Career Paths

Architecture and Construction: Laying the (Mathematical) Foundation

We all see construction sites around us every single day; whether it is the new house being built down the street, the renovation of your grandmother's apartment, or the new skyscraper being made in Dubai, construction is literally one of the foundations of today's concrete jungle. In addition, this field is one that requires profound mathematical use every single day and for every single structure. Every monument the world gapes at with astonishment and awe, from Sydney's Opera House to Paris' Eiffel Tower, are the results of the profound application of mathematical concepts such as geometry, ratios and proportions, trigonometry, areas and volumes, among countless others. Ideology by architects and assembly by constructors is the dynamic duo which keeps our world functioning as it is.

Trigonometry and the Pythagorean Theorem

The Pythagorean theorem is one of the most commonplace mathematical concepts, sure to be applied by every single high school student at least once. Just like high-school maths classes, it is also used frequently on construction sites. Carpenters and builders must make

use of this theorem daily in order to ensure accuracy and to prevent any mistakes or fatal mish aps.

The most important application of the Pythagorean theorem is when it comes to constructing the foundations for a building. Builders most commonly use the 'special triangle' or a Pythagorean triplet, which is the 3-4-5 triangle and multiples of it, when carrying this out. To begin, they use a string and peg it down where they want the first wall to be. The length of this string, usually a multiple of 3, is the first side of the special right triangle. For instance, this wall might be around 12 feet long. The builder would then label each end of the string A and B respectively. These ends will act as two corners of the foundation. Following this, the builder will attach another piece of string to point B, but this time the length of the string will be:

This