John Marrex C.

Huit August 16, 2019

MATHEMATICS BSHM 1A1

MATHEMATICS HELPS PREDICT THE BEHAVIOR OF NATURE

AND PHENOMENA IN THE WORLD

To be able to write a proper synthesis in my chosen topic and to give justice on how
mathematics affects both the nature and phenomena in our world, I read few articles about
mathematics itself from its history to its role in our modern civilization today. According to its
rhetorical stage, math was first used during 70000 BC in South Africa where people discovered
some kind of rocks with adorned scratched geometric patterns on it. Personally I didn’t get its
importance at first. Then, I realized that to be able to see an artifact with such patterns, only
proves that even in the early years math already played a great role in society. Many years
after, a big leap happened in the math history when both Africa and France attempted to
quantify time. Mathematics developed rapidly as it was followed by the invention of the first
numerical system, a system of weights and measure, decimal system, estimated value of pi and
how math was used in describing the motion of the sun and the moon. Its evolution doesn’t
end there since a great number of genius mathematician lived in next centuries such as
Democritus, Plato and many more. A lot was discovered from fraction to infinity concepts to
tangents, to super computers, to the internet and to this very moment when there is no time of
the day that math wasn’t being used.

Unlike other subjects, I didn’t really appreciate mathematics at first. Honestly I never fully
understand its importance compared to that of the other sciences and language, maybe
because I’m not really good at math or maybe because I did not realized that math played from
the basic to the most complex thing in our day to day basis. From the moment your alarm rings
in the morning to how you post goodnight message on Facebook, it is all math. In line with the
topic I’ve chosen, I will focus on how mathematics help in the prediction of the nature’s
behavior and all the other phenomena in this year and age.

First and the most obvious is how math is being used in the prediction of natural disasters such
as typhoons, earthquakes, and even tornadoes and volcanic eruptions. In this case,
mathematical models of atmosphere and ocean are being used to forecast weather based on
the information of the current weather. These models based on physical principle can be used
to generate short term forecasts to long term climate prediction. Through these models there
were improvement that allowed us to gather significant facts in cyclone tracks and air quality
forecasts. On the other hand, scientist are using mathematical method to better understand
volcanoes including how the magma shifts and flows beneath the earth to foretell when
eruptions may occur. Data calculations and assimilations that incorporate new measurements
and dynamic model are being used in order to gather the needed information. Performing the
complex calculations is necessary to be able to predict what might happen so that the
authorities can spread the news and warn people of the danger that may come. Without these
it would be impossible for us to estimate how strong a typhoon is or when will our volcanoes
erupt. Therefore, saving millions of lives, if not every single life in the world.
Next is the effectiveness of mathematics in the prediction of the phenomena outside of earth.
It is not a secret that our very world is already in verge of dying. In the next 50 years, if there’s
no improvement on how we address the current problem we are facing, we might need to fine
another planet to call home. Aside from the supercomputers that were being used to calculate
probabilities of human being surviving in the different planet, math was also being used in
order to know how we will be prepared in coping up with a drastic change in the new
environment. We also uses math in order to invent space crafts and rockets that can gather
information and data about any chance of living organisms residing out there in the space. So,
math isn’t only being used to date artifacts in the past, solve the present world problems, but
also it is a vital necessity in order to survive our future.

To sum up, I believe that we need to be more aware of the importance of mathematics in our
lives. Days pass and go that we didn’t even notice that without math, we might not be able to
reach the benefits of living in the modern world. We students, must stop whining instead need
to work hard to learn and understand math. Plus we all should be grateful of it. Lastly I wanted
to share that maybe, just maybe without math this world, wouldn’t be the world we all know
today.