Why do I love Mathematics?

Doing Mathematics is fun, thrill and excitement. I don’t know why the teachers don’t make themselves belong to the subject. Why don’t they open before the students the euphoria Mathematics possesses? It is only Mathematics that helped human race to achieve greater insights into the enigma of nature. Could we expect happening of various discoveries of Physics, both Mechanical (Newtonian) and Quantum, without deploying the means of differential and integral calculus in general or of concepts of infinite limit in particular? If you look at the NCERT books of Physics (and of Chemistry too) for XI and XII, you will see that more or less every discovery is associated with use of Mathematics. But the most astonishing and most divine feature of Mathematics is to reach same result in solving any problem while using different methods of solving. For example, if you have to find the area of a triangle, the two most elementary and traditional but different methods which are learnt in early classes are ‘half of base into height’ or ‘square root of {s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)} where s is ‘half of a+b+c’ and where a, b, c are the three sides of the given triangle. Later, one learns use of trigonometry in finding out area of a given triangle provided one side and one angle is given. You get the same result. Later in XII class, you learn two different methods. These are: use of integral calculus (area of curves) and use of determinants. You get the same results.

Similarly, in XII Maths, the three dimensional geometry is taught using vectors, while the two are entirely two different branches of pure mathematics. The fact is that in their modern form, the vectors were discovered late in the 19th century when Josiah Willard Gibbs (US) and Oliver Heaviside (Britain) independently developed vector analysis to express the new laws of electromagnetism discovered by the Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell, while, the concepts of 2D geometry and of 3D Geometry are much older. Further, see the example of simultaneous linear equations (say in three variables). You solve it by traditional method of replacement or by use of matrices and determinants (XII class), you get the same result.

Hence, enjoy Mathematics, never be scared of it. Calculus (particularly differential calculus) becomes too tough to grasp if the student (or the teacher) sidetracks its understanding through graphs. Make preparations right from the beginning under certain strategy, especially for six marks questions which are seven in numbers. At least three chapters which don’t require any previous knowledge of something or prerequisites and which give you at least three questions of 6 marks are: Linear Programming (LP), Probability and Matrices & Determinants. LP in XII class is very easy, as in XI class you have already learnt to draw the graph of the problem. In XII class, you have to frame the problem, draw the graph and solve it. So take these three chapters from very beginning and do as much questions as possible. Apart from this, remember that the first chapter (Relations and Functions) may be a bit difficult if you don’t have proper ideas of relations. This is a chapter which should be taken care of regularly throughout the year. You can always expect a six marks question from this.

Always learn the basics of everything in Mathematics. And if you have selected something in Mathematics, do everything of that something. There are no shortcuts in Mathematics. Sharpening of Mathematical inkling will make you understand other subjects in a more analytical way. Further, Mathematics gives you an edge over other candidates in any competitive exam. Remember, it is the Mathematics only which disconnects Maths students from non-Maths students in scoring marks and in giving an extra edge in any competitive exam.

God Himself has created integers, Calculus is another Avatar of God, and hence here is an appeal to all students of Mathematics. Do Mathematics the way you worship God. You will get results, better results and best outcomes from within you.