Other characters in these films are shown as lacking even the basic knowledge of mathematics. This creates some sort of a barrier to mathematics as a subject. People get the impression that only a select few can be good at math. This subject, in fact, is for everyone.

One need not be a reclusive person lost in concepts and formulas for gaining expertise in this field. Here we’ll take a look at some of the films that portrayed mathematicians in different ways:

1. A Beautiful Mind

This movie features Russell Crowe in the role of John Nash. It was based on the true story of a renowned mathematician and Nobel Prize winner. The protagonist is depicted in the film as a troubled individual who finds it difficult to adjust to the society. He succumbs to psychosis, weighed down by his own genius.

2. Good Will Hunting

In this movie, Matt Damon plays the character of a genius mathematician called Will Hunting. The mathematician runs into trouble with the law. Ben Affleck plays the role of his friend, who is one of the foil characters. This friend is illiterate when it comes to math and the film portrays such an individual as ‘normal’. Will Hunting enters the world of academia through his job as a janitor.

3. The Imitation Game

Yet another barrier-breaking movie, The Imitation Game portrays Benedict Cumberbatch as the mathematician, Alan Turing. This is a biographical film based on the life and work of the famous cryptographer and mathematician. The movie is critical of the society that accepts only the professional achievements and contributions of the mathematician.

It refuses to accept who he is as a person. Turing was a gay and the film shows the tragic events he encountered. Alan Turing had to undergo immense struggle against a highly intolerant society. The Imitation Game shows this in a brilliant way.

4. Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures is about three black women mathematicians working for NASA. It features Taraji Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae. Their characters are based on real women and their situations. It does take some liberties with the accuracy of historical events. Despite this, the film breaks barriers and also dispels some stereotypical notions.

5. Proof

Another film about a woman mathematician, Proof has an excellent plot. Gwyneth Paltrow plays the role of a woman mathematician called Catherine. The movie also features male mathematicians and all of them work towards solving a difficult proof. Although Catherine has made a breakthrough on the proof, it is the men who take the credit. The audience comes to know about this fact as the plot unfolds.

6. Pi

Sean Gullette plays the role of Max Cohen, a math genius, in this film. He develops a debilitating psychosis and eventually lobotomizes himself. This is a compelling movie that has some disturbing undertones. It is undoubtedly a negative representation of a genius mathematician.

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Sometimes you wish that all those formulas and concepts were easy to understand. So, we’ve decided to help you out with some books to overcome your fear of math. They’ll be extremely useful in learning and exploring various aspects of this subject. Now, let’s go through the best three books on mathematics:

1. On The Study and Difficulties of Mathematics

Augustus De Morgan was one of the prominent writers in mathematics during the 20th century. Among his best works is On The Study And Difficulties Of Mathematics. It consists of points that are natural and fresh in their tone. You’ll find the book quite different from the mechanical textbooks that are currently in use for studying the subject.

It presumes that the reader only knows the rules of Euclidean theorems and algebra. De Morgan gives some introductory remarks in the beginning on the nature and objects of mathematics. Then he goes on to discuss arithmetical notion and the elementary rules of the concept. This includes decimal fractions and arithmetical reactions.

He reviews the elementary principles on algebra and examines the first and second degree equations. Moving further, he also surveys logarithms and roots. In the concluding parts of the book, De Morgan explores geometrical reasoning encompassing the formulation and usage of axioms. Along with this he explores the role of proportion and several applications of algebra.

2. Arithmetic the Easy Way

This book by Edward Williams serves as an easy guide for general readers who wish to learn mathematics. It will help you master the basic math skills you need if you’re a student. This book gives students their much-needed foundation before they move on to high-school level math.

It can also be used as a reference for those who’ve moved beyond high school. The book begins with the basics of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Then it moves further towards calculating with decimals, fractions, and percentages. In the concluding parts, the author has dedicated a chapter to reviewing the units of measurement and word problems.

You’ll find many practice exercises in the chapters and their answers given in the ending pages of the book. Arithmetic The Easy Way also features several charts, tables, and other illustrations.

3. Calculus

With this book, Michael Spivak aims to help students who are just getting used to proof-based mathematics. This is his celebrated textbook on mathematics. It is widely regarded as one of the finest of all introductions to mathematical analysis. You’ll learn how logical reasoning along with the fundamental concepts can make a rigorous mathematical theory.

Students have traditionally found it difficult to grasp the topic of analysis. In this book, Spivak offers excellent explanations of mathematical concepts. He also gives some extremely useful examples, a range of exercises, and many illustrations. This book explains everything in an easy-going approach.

Many hold Calculus in high regard as a modern classic in the field of mathematics. This book would also be ideal for those studying for their honors and mathematical majors.

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It is believed that mathematics was used for the purpose of commerce, taxation, and trade even before 3,000 BC. It was of great help in the ancient times for studying the patterns of nature. Besides this, it was useful for the purpose of recording time and creating calendars. The field of astronomy in ancient times has also used mathematics to a great extent.

The oldest surviving texts

Among the earliest texts of mathematics is Plimpton 322, which is a Babylonian clay tablet. Experts believe that its creation took place somewhere between 2000 and 1900 BC. Another great example of the earliest texts in mathematics is the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus. The origin of this ancient mathematical text dates back to 1800 BC.

These texts contain a concept that bears similarities to the Pythagorean triples. So, many experts believe that the Pythagorean theorem is the most ancient and widespread mathematical development. Of course, older arithmetic and geometrical concepts do exist.

Mathematics as a field of study

It was the Pythagoreans who began using mathematics as a demonstrative discipline somewhere during the 6th century BC. The word ‘mathematics’ comes from the ancient Greek term ‘mathema’. It literally translates as the ‘subject of instruction’. The Greek mathematics significantly refined the methods and expanded the subject matter.

This was possible through deductive reasoning and proofs that used mathematical rigor. The ancient Romans made use of applied mathematics in several areas. These included structural engineering, book keeping, surveying, mechanical engineering, and creation of calendars. The first use of negative numbers was made in China. Over the course of the 1st millennium AD, the Hindu-Arabic numeral system and its associated rules evolved.

They came to the Western world through the works of Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi. From the 12th century onward, several Greek and Arabic mathematical texts were translated into Latin. This led to the further development of mathematics in the European world.

Mathematics in recent times

The Clay Mathematics Institute made an announcement of the seven Millennium Prize Problems in 2000. Grigori Perelman solved the Poincare conjecture in 2003. However, he declined to accept an award for the achievement because of his opposition to the mathematics establishment. Today, most of the mathematical journals are available in print as well as online versions.

Some of the journals that were recently launched are available only in the online format. The creation of an open-access repository called ‘arXiv’ took place in 1991. It resulted in an increasing drive towards open access publishing, which has helped the study of mathematics.

Future trends in mathematics

Mathematics as a subject will grow even faster with the advent of modern and powerful computers. In addition to this, there are several other trends in mathematics that have been predicted. This includes the application of mathematics on an even larger scale in bioinformatics.

The volume of data that science and industry have been producing is expanding on an exponential scale. One can expect this to expand further with the use of next-generation computers.

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The teachers will also have the pleasure of witnessing a more engaged class. All it takes is some efforts and a little thinking outside the box. If the teachers make some genuine efforts, they’ll certainly come across several non-traditional methods. These ways of teaching mathematics would seem more fun and exciting.

The students would love to learn math in a non-traditional manner. Of course, the content of the subject is important. However, the way you teach is what makes the difference. Now, let’s see how teachers can make math more interesting for students.

Making mathematics personal

This is perhaps one of the easiest ways to develop an interest in students towards math. Teachers must incorporate some of their interests into the equations and problems that they’re trying to teach. For example, most of the students might be interested in sports.

So, while teaching probability, the teacher can use their favorite sports team. While teaching money, the teacher can make the students figure out the amount they need to save each week. Even including the names of their students can help teachers in making word problems interesting.

In word problems, teachers can use polka-dotted elephants or some funny examples. This will create an environment of fun and amusement in the class. The chances of their students remembering the mathematical concepts will be greater in this case.

Diversification of math lessons

During a math session in school, many students hesitate to raise their hand and ask questions. They might learn best when they’re placed in a group of students. In this way, they can feel confident to talk through the problems and try to find solutions. Every child has his or her own way of learning things. So, their teachers must come up with diverse plans to teach math lessons.

In addition to groups, they can use worksheets, hands-on experiences, and flashcards to teach mathematics. Many students might feel overwhelmed when they see a page full of math problems. In such situations, the teachers can use flashcards.

By showing math problems one at a time on the flashcards, the students will take more interest in the subject. The availability of different options to test their math skills will also encourage students. One of these options is an online quiz.

Relating math lessons to other subjects

Teachers can begin making their math sessions fun and exciting for the class by making them meaningful. This can be done by including math in discussions about history, science, and even languages. For example, students can be given the task of calculating how many years back the Revolutionary War happened. Math problems can be integrated into science experiments to estimate results.

Such integrations will help students in gaining a more holistic view of mathematics. They’ll see how important mathematics is in every field of study. The students will understand why it matters even if they don’t plan to become mathematicians.

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It has made so many students struggle with some tricky concepts and complex problems. At some point, you might’ve wondered where does all this hatred come from. As you must’ve gone through similar struggles, you might already know some of the answers. However, we’ve tried to present some of the reasons that might still be unknown to you.

1. Mathematics requires memorization of certain concepts

There are many equations and rules in mathematics that must be memorized in order to solve difficult mathematical problems. For many, this requirement of memorization can be a source of great anxiety. Most of them might be the ones who find it difficult to remember a certain date.

As a result, such students end up thinking that math is not for them. In reality, memorization is only one aspect of learning mathematics and not a goal in itself. More than memorizing, the students must focus on understanding the concept. There is no particular age to develop mathematical abilities.

2. Many find math useless and boring

Students often find it easier to invest time and energy in learning languages or history. A major reason for this is the link with reality that they see in these subjects. Most of the students think that the mathematical concepts and formulas have nothing to do with reality. The subject seems irrelevant, abstract, and quite difficult to understand. This is far from being true.

As a matter of fact, math is very much relevant to our daily lives. You’ll certainly realize this while calculating a budget for shopping or keeping a tab on your expenses. The younger lot must know how important mathematics can be when it comes to pursuing a rewarding career. Even carpenters and salesmen need mathematics to do well in their profession.

3. Mathematics appears to be a rigid subject

For a student to learn mathematics, reasoning and understanding mathematical logic are extremely necessary. It may also happen that a student understands a concept and makes an error in calculation. Such students end up arriving at a wrong answer, which becomes a reason for getting a bad grade.

There’s only a right and a wrong in this subject. Many learners get really anxious in their quest to get the right answer from their teachers. There are cases where teachers are a bit harsh and enforce their bit of discipline. This leads to a feeling of discomfort among students during their math sessions.

In such a situation, a caring atmosphere is absolutely essential. The teachers must try to make their students understand the concepts in a gentle way. They must also focus on developing the required mathematical reflexes in them.

4. Learning mathematics involves making mistakes

In mathematics, students have to practice their math exercises to make improvements and progress. They must face their challenges again and again in order to achieve mastery. Often, the exercises require students to follow the same reasoning, but the data is different.

This can frustrate and discourage many of them. In the end, some of them might never want to study mathematics. Despite all of these troubles, they must embrace their mistakes as a part of the learning process.

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Generally, it’s used for the analysis of data, proving certain facts and figures, and understanding patterns. It helps you in understanding information that will otherwise be quite complex. Nearly every field of endeavor involves a certain degree of math.

Probably, this is one of the reasons why it’s taught in schools and colleges. Do you know that math also plays an important role in your routine life? Well, if you pay enough attention, you’ll find it in use everywhere. Here’s how you can apply some mathematics in your everyday life:

1. While shopping for groceries

You may encounter some mathematical concepts when you’re in a supermarket. Usually it’s in the form of signs, such as ‘Buy 2 and get 1 free’ or ‘Get 50% off’. Upon seeing such schemes, you’ll instantly calculate whether buying the product would benefit you.

In order to do that, you don’t have to be a mathematical genius. All you need to know is basic addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division. Knowledge of percentages will also be an added advantage in such scenarios.

2. When you’re cooking

It’s common these days for people to follow a recipe when they’re cooking. While baking a cake or preparing dinner, you need to do some calculations. They involve the exact quantity of ingredients and calculations of proportions. Now, this won’t be possible without applying some math.

Here, it’ll be of great help if you’ve got some basic knowledge of ratios. Owing to these reasons, cooking is one of the best ways to introduce children to mathematics.

3. While driving your car

It’s not something new to look for signs while you’re driving your car. Most of the signs indicate a certain limit of speed that you must not cross. Besides this, you also need to know whether you can arrive at your destination on time. For this purpose, you can apply some math to calculate time, distance, and speed.

This will help you in planning your trip and arriving at your desired destination on time. You’ll also be able to save yourself from being issued a speeding ticket.

4. For maintaining your fitness

You can also apply math to maintain your fitness levels and get your dream physique. This will be more apparent when you need to reduce fat or build muscles. Doing some math while preparing your diet plans will ensure that you eat the right nutrients. It also restricts the unnecessary intake of calories, which does more harm to your body.

When you’re aiming to lose weight, you’ll need to eat fewer amounts of calories. This must be lesser than the amount of calories your body burns. If your aim is to build muscles, you’ll need more calories. Math would help you calculate the appropriate amount of calories that your body needs. This is extremely crucial, whether your purpose is to build muscles or to lose weight.

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By comparing the online casino you’re interested in with others, you’ll begin to understand the math. You’ll have to do some research as well. In some cases, you’ll need to have some advanced math skills. Well, don’t worry. Here, we’ve tried to simplify things a little bit so that you can decide which bonus is good enough.

You might be wondering how to find the best online casinos with fantastic bonuses. If this is what you’ve been thinking about, go to a review website. The online casino review websites have everything you want to know about online casinos Canada. They help you learn more about different types of casino bonuses.

Besides, these sites list some of the leading online casinos that the experts have reviewed. Such casinos are given the most appropriate ratings based on their reviews. This will help you decide which one would be the best for you.

Now, let’s delve deeper into the online casino bonuses and try to understand their math.

Types of bonuses and rules

Most of the bonuses that you’ll come across on the online casinos are deposit bonuses. For claiming such bonuses, you’ll need to make a deposit. Some online casinos allow you to withdraw the bonus after you reach a certain threshold. There are some that’ll deduct the bonus amount before cashing out.

Here, we’ll mainly discuss about the bonus that can be cashed out. Going through the rules of the online casino you’re playing helps to a great extent. This allows you to understand the types of bonuses and their deposit and withdrawal rules. Most of the times there are certain details that can help you in using advanced math.

They can also be good reference points when you compare the offers with the ones that other casinos provide. One important aspect is the amount of money you’ll have to stake for clearing the bonus. Second is to see whether it is a standalone bonus or a part of many bonuses.

Return to player (RTP)

Most of the online casino players ignore the return to player or RTP percentage. They think it has nothing to do with the bonus. In fact, you need to begin with the RTP if you want to compare casino bonuses. When it comes to bonuses, house edge plays an important role.

You’ll be able to decide better on the house edge if you know about the RTP percentage. Subtracting the RTP percentage from 100% will help you get the house advantage of the game. Multiply the total amount you’ll get with the house edge for understanding the expected loss.

The math for profit and loss from bonuses

Now, let’s do some calculations. You’ll need to apply a mathematical formula to judge how much a casino bonus is worth. Multiply the house edge with the amount you need to bet for clearing the bonus. Then, you’ll need to deduct it from the bonus amount.

If you arrive at a positive outcome, the bonus will fetch you a profit. If you have a negative outcome, you might end up losing all the bonus amount. You might even lose some of the deposit before you clear the bonus. So, let’s say you’re playing a roulette that has a house edge of 0.4%.

The bonus offered is $100 on a deposit of $100. This is for a total bankroll of $300. According to the online casino terms, you need to play the bonus and deposit 40x for clearing it. So, $300×40 gives you a total of $12,000. Upon multiplying the house edge by 0.4% times $12,000, you’ll have an expected loss of $48.

The bonus is $100 and when you deduct $48, you get a potential profit of $52. So, if you come across something like this, you must grab the opportunity. You’ll see that as you get the hang of it, the math tends to become a lot easier. You must never forget to run the numbers for every bonus offered by the online casino you come across.

The RTP percentage and its math

It’s important for you to know that every casino game has an RTP percentage. A return to player (RTP) percentage is the amount of your bet you might win back. The RTP percentage and bet option of every single game is secured with a match. It doesn’t matter if the casino game uses dice or cards. The games in online gambling are always based on math.

A higher RTP percentage would be an excellent way to improve your results in the casino games. For example, let’s say you’re playing an online slot with an RTP of 94%. You’ll have much to lose in this case compared to a slot game with an RTP of 98%.

A lower RTP would mean a greater possibility of losing a higher percentage of every dollar you’re betting. It’s quite difficult to decide the RTP of casino games. Nevertheless, it would certainly be of help to you when you understand the calculations involved.

Final thoughts

You’ll need to begin with simple numbers when you’re trying to crack the math associated with online casino bonuses. The best way to start is by referring to the terms and conditions of the bonuses first. Then, you’ll also need to consider the RTP percentage and house edge of the game.

This will help you immensely in comparing the variety of bonus offers that many online casinos provide. You’ll realize that most of the bonus offers are more or less the same. Despite this, you might find a bonus that leaves some room for making a profit.

This doesn’t always happen, but you might come across such a bonus on rare occasions. You must definitely run the numbers for each of the bonuses. Only then you’ll be able to know whether investing your money and claiming the offer is worth it.

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Even scientists wouldn’t have come up with ground-breaking inventions without this subject. It is not always easy to list out the most influential people in mathematics. Here, we’ll talk about a few of them who revolutionized the world of science and technology.

1. Euclid of Alexandria

Euclid is renowned in the world of mathematics as the founder of geometry. He was a mathematician from Greece who had a great influence on the later generations of mathematicians and scientists. One of them was Isaac Newton. Among his prominent works is Euclid’s Elements, which is a compilation of 13 books.

Many consider them to be among the most influential and oldest books in this field. The focal point in this compilation of mathematical books is geometry. A comprehensive introduction of the Elementary Number Theory is also presented in Euclid’s Elements.

2. Pythagoras of Samos

Born during 6th century BC, he came up with several mathematical findings. Although the authenticity of most of these works remain debatable, he influenced some of the greatest philosophers. Among them were Aristotle, Plato, Isaac Newton, and Johannes Kepler. The most famous of his works is the Pythagoras Theorem.

Many historians have stated that the Babylonians were aware of this theorem well before his time. Pythagoras might’ve also been instrumental in the discovery of the Theory of Proportions. As with many of the great ancient Greek figures, not much is known about Pythagoras’s early life.

3. Archimedes

A polymath well-versed in mathematics, astronomy, and physics, Archimedes was born during the 3rd century BC. He was among the pioneers of geometry. Unfortunately, many of his documented works didn’t survive. He had derived several formulas for determining the surface area and volume of a sphere.

Archimedes also derived formula for determining the area of a circle. No one could challenge the method he had come up with for determining the value of pi. Even today, his way of calculating the circumference of a circle is in use.

4. Isaac Newton

The most remarkable among Newton’s contributions to the field of mathematics is calculus. During those times, it was popular as ‘infinitesimals’. Sir Isaac Newton is famous for being one of the founders of classical mechanics. Until Einstein’s theory of relativity became known to the world, his views on gravity were accepted universally.

His works on optics were instrumental in the development of the first-ever refracting telescope. Newton also helped in validating Kepler’s laws of planetary motion and explained the reason behind Earth’s tidal disturbances.

5. Srinivasa Ramanujan

By the time he was 16, Ramanujan could study Bernoulli numbers. He had developed them on his own. Although he had no formal training in mathematics, his mathematical knowledge was highly advanced. Many were awestruck by his mathematical abilities at such a young age.

He was modern India’s most remarkable mathematician and gained international fame. Much of it came after a prominent British mathematician called G.H. Hardy recognized his works. Hardy had also compared him with Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi and Leonhard Euler.

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This included projective geometry and group theory. Several philosophers and mathematicians of the time began proposing new definitions. A higher emphasis was on the deductive character of mathematics. Some of the definitions emphasize the subject’s abstractness. Here, we’ll take a look at a few prominent characteristics of the subject:

1. It follows a logical sequence

Thales and Pythagoras, the ancient Greek traditions, have greatly influenced modern mathematics. It has inherited the axiomatic arrangement and logical derivation from these traditions. You can also find their influences in Euclid’s presentation of Geometry. The earliest form of mathematics mostly comprised of the human perception of time, space, number, and change.

Later, mathematics began to move away from empirical science. It gradually developed certain concepts through experience, generalization, and abstraction. Today, logical sequence has become an essential characteristic of mathematics. Learning this subject involves proceeding from simple steps to complex calculations in recent times.

2. It is precise and accurate

This is the only subject in the world, perhaps, that can ensure certainty of results. Owing to its greater degree of precision and accuracy, mathematics is an ‘exact science’. The results in this subject are either right or wrong. You’ll end up either accepting or rejecting the results in mathematics.

Whatever the conclusion, you can verify whether it is valid or not. You do this with the use of objectivity and consistency. Besides, it is not restricted to the experts. Anyone who uses proper logical sequence of mathematics at any level can arrive at the same results.

3. It uses mathematical symbolism and language

For the purpose of communicating mathematical ideas, this subject uses symbols along with words. There are certain words and symbols not everyone can understand. This is one of the most important characteristics, which sets it apart from many other subjects.

Such extensive use of symbols also serve a key purpose. It cuts short many statements that would otherwise be quite lengthy. Mathematics, therefore, encourages clear and precise expression of facts. This also makes it inevitable for teachers or professors of mathematics to use correct terms.

4. It is applicable universally

Mathematics is not just a subject for learning. It requires the individual learning this subject to apply the skills that are acquired in it. You can apply the knowledge you gain from the subject universally to solve problems. As the ideas, rules, and formulas in mathematics are universal in nature, a student can verify the validity of results.

With the gradual progression of mathematics over the years, its concepts have become advanced and abstracted. They are in use all over the world in recent times and continue to evolve.

5. It is abstract

When compared to physics, mathematics doesn’t deal with actual objects. There are many questions in this subject, which can’t be solved with the use of direct experiments. For example, infinity is a major concept in the subject. You can never experience infinity and it must therefore be assumed. If you don’t, the counting will never end. So, we can conclude that this is not a concept you can experiment using objects.

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