Real-Life Math
"Philosophy is not typically taught using mathematics, although
several branches of mathematics [mathematical logic, the theory of computation]
have roots in philosophy," says Alan Richardson. He works in the philosophy
department of a university.
Mui (May) H. Sim is a philosophy professor.
"One asks philosophical questions about mathematics itself. What is it? What
is its relation to ultimate reality? Is it a part or the whole of reality?
I also use the proof of how a triangle has angles that add up to 180 degrees
to demonstrate Descartes' mathematical method of thinking, how a proof makes
things more evident, clear and distinct."
What is logic? It is the
science of reasoning by the estimation of evidence. For example, there is
a full box of candy left on the coffee table when you leave your house. When
you come back later, the candy is gone. Your dog is sleeping in a corner of
the living room. His sides bulge like a barrel and he has a smile on his face.
Do you suspect that your dog had something to do with the disappearance of
the candy?
What is analysis? It is a consideration of anything in its
separate parts and their relation to each other. When we analyze something,
we take it apart, look at each of its pieces individually, then put it back
together again and contemplate the whole. Does this remind you of taking apart
a clock, then putting it back together to see how it works?
Let's try
some exercises in logic and analysis.
- How many flowers do I have if all of them are roses except 2, all of them
are tulips except 2 and all of them are daisies except 2?
- Three people have a meal at a restaurant. They pay $60 to their server
while finishing their coffee. The cashier finds out the meal totaled $50 rather
than $60 because the computer made a mistake, and gives $10 to the server
to return. On the way back to the table, the server realizes that $10 will
be difficult to share among 3 people, so he pockets $1 and gives $3 to each
person.
Now each person paid $20 and got back $3. So they paid $17 each,
totaling $51. The server has $1, totaling $52.
Where is the other $8?
- A plane flies over Dobney City at 10:30 a.m. It passes over the town of
Wellfjord, 168 miles from Dobney, at 10:43 a.m. At what speed in miles per
hour is the plane traveling? (Hint: we know the formula to calculate
distance is Distance = Velocity x Time or D = VT.)