The Beauty and Allure of Mathematics

True confession time: I have always loved math, but I never memorized my times tables. When I was using them all the time I was able to figure out the answers, but now that I don't work with math as frequently I can't always get to the answer.

While I strongly encourage my children and others that I mentor to learn their multiplication facts, I want to encourage something else even more. That something else is a love of numbers, shapes, and logic. Mathematics has so many great things to offer us and if we focus only on the facts we miss out on much that is beautiful about math. A person who has experienced and appreciated the beauty inherent in math will not give up when they can not solve a problem. They will continue to approach the problem much longer than a person who has never glimpsed the amazing parts of math.

Recently I discovered a new author who obviously loves math more than I do, and I am so excited to share these books with others. The author is Clifford A. Pickover, and I discovered him while I was searching for a book about Physics. Someone directed me to his book, The Physics Book. While I was looking for this book, I noticed that he had a number of math books. I decided to get several from the library to see what they were all about. I was not disappointed. Pickover's books are an amazing resource to help inspire you and those you mentor to explore mathematics. In his introduction to the book A Passion for Mathematics, Pickover says, "Numbers are portals to other universes. Numbers help us glimpse a greater universe that's normally shielded from our small brains, which have not evolved enough to fully comprhend the mathematical fabric of the universe. Higher mathematical discussions are a little like poetry." This particular book is filled with quotes about math, puzzles, formulas, and trivia. Its a great resource for beginning an exciting exploration into numbers, shapes, and logic.

When someone I mentor is not a fan of math, I like to move away from memorizing and working with raw numbers for a while and help them explore other mathematical concepts. Often, learning more about the Fibonacci sequence, pi, or fractals will help someone who struggles with math to become more excited and energized about math.

What resources have you found helpful in encouraging learning about mathematics?