Tell most people you’d like to study math, and more likely than not their eyes will glaze over. Mathematics, for most people, is the epitome of dullness. Belittling of one’s math abilities is a point of pride: “I was never any good at math…” though the same people would be ashamed to say “I was never any good at reading.” This sad state of affairs has been decried for many years. Writers much more talented than me have investigated the possible causes and tried to set the record straight; showing how creative and exciting math truly is. C.P Snow in his Two Cultures and Lockhart in his A Mathematician’s Lament, have covered this ground more eloquently than I ever could.
The very fact that you are reading this blog suggests that you do not need convincing, so I will proffer no argument. Instead, I would like to explore the reasons and motivations that would drive a person to dedicate a large portion of their time (or life) to mathematics. The intent is to explain and show, to provide a glimpse into the mind.
The world is thy oyster and before you are thousands paths, myriad possibilities, a cacophony of pleasant and important activities – so why study math?
[Imported from my now defunct blog 10,000 Hours of Mathematics.]