Our Honourable
Royal Father of the day of this august occasion, HRH Oba Munirudeen Adesola
Lawal, the Timi of Ede,
The
Chairman of this august occasion,
The national, State and Area / Local Executives of the
respective sets of Ede Baptist High School Old Students Association (EBHSOSA)
with special reference to the 1980/81 set,
The Principal, Baptist High School Ede,
The Vice-Principal Baptist High School, Ede,
The executives of the PTA, Baptist High School Ede,
Other Staff and the Students of Baptist High School present,
Other Teachers and Students of other Secondary Schools
present,
Other Guests and well wishers present,
Gentlemen and ladies of the press,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning and welcome to this august occasion, which is a
milestone in the progress of this citadel of learning and other Secondary
Schools in Ede metropolis.
First of all, I must appreciate God Almighty for His power,
love and mercy for keeping all of us alive and healthy and giving us grace to
be present at this great occasion.
We have gathered here to celebrate and honour our dynamic,
amiable, loving and God-beloved Kabiyesi, HRH Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, the
Laminisa I, the current Timi of Ede as part of the Tenth Anniversary of his
coronation as Timi of Ede Kingdom. Kabiyesi, ki ade pe lori, ki bata pe lese;
odun kan igba odun. Amin. May God Almighty, who has mercifully helped you to be
successful on the throne of this great city thus far, help to grant you maximum
progress, peace and long life to the end on the glorious throne, where he has
placed you. Amen.
We are here today to celebrate and
honour Kabiyesi, the Timi of Ede with a brief lecture to the Secondary Schools
in Ede City, titled The Importance of
Mathematics to Human Progress and also to organize a Mathematics Quiz Competition among the schools. We have decided to
employ Mathematics – focused activities to honour our Royal Father, Kabiyesi,
on this occasion. This is because he has been a brilliant mathematician throughout
his periods of studentship and lectureship across all the educational
institutions, which he attended and where he worked respectively.
Moreover, we like to ignite the passion
of all the students present here today, for mathematics by the lecture and quiz
competition. I hope that the lecture will also stimulate the interest of all
mathematics teachers also present here.
I also very much appreciate the honour
given me today again by EBHSOSA 80/81 set to deliver the said lecture to the
students. I thank all the organizers of the quiz competition among whom are
Kayode Oshin, Afolabi Faramade, Bashiru Adeyemo and others. They have invested
their money, time, energy and other resources to execute this grand project and
also others for the progress of Ede Baptist High School. I pray that God will
blessed them, their families and their children in return. Amen.
I also have to thank the same EBHSOSA
80/81 set for the great honour which they gave me and my Wife on 19th November
2016, in appreciating how God helped me to achieve a helpful teaching career in
Ede Baptist High School in 1974 to 1988. I pray that God will help them with
His blessings upon their lives. Amen,
Please permit me to give a prelude to
my lecture. Really, I felt honoured and humbled to accept the invitation to
address students and Teachers in this audience on the importance of
mathematics. Actually, somebody must be surprised by the choice of a pastor to
give a motivational address on mathematics. That was the first aspect of the question
of what qualifies me for this assignment. This is more so that our Kabiyesi the
current Timi of Ede has been a mathematics scholar by vocation before his
coronation. Also, Kayode Oshin among the organizers of this programme, is a
first class rated graduate mathematician of the University of Ibadan and a
chartered accountant for some decades till now. The compelling humility got
sealed by the fact that I was trained in the University as a science teacher,
just with some university subsidiary mathematics courses. However, the period
of my teaching mathematics throughout all my teaching career, by far exceeded
my period of teaching science. This was due to the situational necessity (by
lack of mathematics teachers) in all the schools where I served as a teacher. This
therefore got me deeply interested in mathematics and so made me to become a self-chosen
disciple of mathematics and some notable mathematics scholars. I am revealing
this personal background to the students so as to motivate them to love
mathematics more than their present level of interest in the subject.
Please, kindly permit me also to give a
necessary honor to our honourable guest, Kabiyesi,
HRH Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, the
Timi of Ede, as I knew him in Ede Baptist High School:
·
A
passionate lover of Ede Baptist High School and his home land, Ede City.
·
A
consummate lover of mathematics.
·
I knew
not and neither did I for once see with him any girl friend other than his
mathematics books (during his schooling days in EBHS). Hardly did the majority
of the teachers and students know or remember his surname other than
“Mathematics”
·
Not
surprising, teachers and students in Ede Abepe Height, gave him the Yoruba
appellation ‘‘Muniru Onisiro’’ that is, “Muniru the mathematician” (Kabiyesi o).
Each time Baba Adelowo (the late Principal of B.H.S., Ede) was cracking jokes
with Kabiyesi as I also jokingly shared in those felicities, we never for once
got any hint that the amiable young man then was a monarch in the hand of God
for the future (Really, God is Great).
·
Quite a
simple hearted, amiable, young man then and now our Royal Father, with thanks
to God.
·
Ever
smiling, very industrious, self-disciplined, either in class or in the library,
always carrying a copy of “Schaum Outline Mathematics Series”.
·
Very
respectful and humble, unassuming, selfless, helpful, loving and beloved, yet
very brilliant.
·
His love
by his frequent visit to Ede Baptist High School, even while in the tertiary
institution was divinely building in him a patriotic love for the school and
for his beloved father land, Ede Kingdom. No wonder, why God promoted him to
ascend the glorious throne of his forefathers the Ede Kingdom, by God’s mercy
to him and this great city. Dear Kabiyesi, may God sustain your reign to the
end and above all, I pray that our Lord, the King of glory, will count us
worthy to reign with Him in His Kingdom. Amen.
Kabiyesi,
Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, I will now delve into the assignment before
me: The Importance of Mathematics for
Human Progress.
I would like us to be guided in this
discourse by the following guiding questions:
1.
What is
the subject called mathematics, or what is it about?
2.
What was
its origin or where did it originate?
3.
What
development or evolution has it experienced?
4.
When does
the need for mathematics arise?
5.
Why do we
have to deal with or employ the use of mathematics in human and societal
affairs?
6.
i. Who can or how can one become a
successful mathematician?
ii. Reference to some notable
mathematicians.
7.
How is
mathematics relevant to Nigeria and Africa in the global community?
8.
Some
notable mathematical Institutions/Institutes
9.
The
General prospects of mathematicians.
10.
Conclusion.
The
Definition of Mathematics
According to Collins English Dictionary1and
wicktionary.com, Mathematics (Greek: mathema) is defined as a group of abstract
related science of numbers, shapes and their relationship, including algebra,
geometry and calculus. I like to state that this general and common definition
connotes that arithmetic must be commonly implied, being the first to naturally
emerge and also that trigonometry is implied to emerge from the study of
geometry; statistics seem to emerge later as a branch or specialty, following
these established traditional fields of mathematics. Wikipedia gives a more
advanced and complex branches of mathematics. But for Secondary School level we
shall be contented to state that the main branches of mathematics are:
1.
Arithmetic 2. Algebra 3.Geometry (plane & Coordinate
geometry)
4. Trigonometry 5. Calculus 6. Statistics 7. Applied
Mathematics
However, the current school certificate
syllabus does not separate mathematics into these separate branches as in the
past but employs a combination of the knowledge from these branches to solve
mathematical problems.
The
History and Development of Mathematics
Mathematics in the past centuries of
human history was much different from its present day form. Mathematics must
have started with the origin of language and it began with simple counting of
things. Counting became necessary with the trades connecting people. At that
time, simple units and later, groups of units were employed in counting2.
Such
units were the fingers, short sticks or little pieces of stones or pebbles; in
counting groups of things, the devices used through the ages were many and
varied. Among them were knots tied to a rope and notches cut on in sticks; thus
was started the use of tallies and
later followed the use of the abacus.
The
increasing need to handle length, areas, weight (mass), volumes and sizes of
buildings and heights of objects, sea navigation, more complex business
transactions, demanded more adequate methods of calculation. Therefore across
the ages of human civilization, counting methods and other measurements led on
mankind to achieve more accurate methods. Many nations and races were involved
in the development of mathematics from the pre-historic period till the modern
age.
Wikipedia
gives an account of the History of mathematics, in which we have a chronicle of
the nationalities and the races involved in the development of mathematics till
the current period.
Wikipedia
referred to such nationalities and races which include mainly the following
periods:
1.
The
Prehistoric period; Ref: the Ishango bone near the headwaters of the Nile River
(Northeastern Congo).
2.
The
Babylonian Civilization period
3.
*The
Egyptian Civilization period
4.
The Greek
Civilization period
5.
The Roman
Civilization period
6.
*The
Chinese Civilization period
7.
*The
Indian Civilization period
8.
The
Islamic Civilization period
9.
*The Maya
Civilization period
10.
The Medieval
European period
11.
The Renaissance
period
12.
Mathematics
during the Scientific Revolution (17th and 18th centuries)
13.
The Modern Period (19th – 21st
centuries)
It is important to note that there were independent
advancements in mathematics in China, India and Maya civilizations before each
of them contacted outside and Western civilizations. Therefore, the West has no
exclusive right to the claim to originality and exclusive leadership of human
progress and civilization in history.
Each period is noted for the specific aspect(s) of mathematics
that was (were) developed as well as the extension of mathematics into new
areas.
A precise account useful for this study is also given by Assad Ebrahim in The
Development of Mathematics4
A precise modern account of the Branches of Mathematics is given by Wikipedia thus:
1.
Classification
systems
2.
Major
divisions of mathematics
2.1
Foundations
2.2
Arithmetic
2.3
Algebra
2.4
Analysis
2.5
Combinatorics
2.6
Geometry
and topology
2.7
Applied
Mathematics
2.7.1
Probability
and Statistics
2.7.2
Computational
Sciences
2.7.3
Physical
Sciences
2.7.4
Other Mathematical Sciences
This is not a rigidly set mathematics curriculum structure
at the University level; it is just one of several dynamic outlines of
curriculum guidance.
The Importance of
Mathematics
Mathematics is the language of the natural sciences,
engineering and technology in its various forms and the social sciences; it is
as it were the life and foundation which make all these fields to be real.
There is a formidable list of textbooks on the Application
of mathematics in various sciences including biology as well as in the various
engineering and commercial fields.
Mathematics has come to give shape and progress to the
social sciences as stated in Mathematics
for Social Scientists
Modern commerce, industry and the military cannot survive without
science and technology, all of which depend on mathematics for existence. The
same is true even of modern systems of communication all over the world.
Mathematics has been the most powerful
tool employed by physics and engineering for aviation, space exploration and
practical study of astronomy. It is also important in the exploration for
petroleum underground or below the oceans.
Metrology and weather forecast is the
product of mathematics–based science and technology, all of which stand on the
great pillar of mathematics. Mathematics – controlled study of geology,
oceanography and metrology has always enabled the modern societies to escape
disasters by the predictions of the occurrence of earthquakes, tsunamis,
hurricanes and volcanoes. Moreover, any of these disasters are now occurring
more frequently with the testing of nuclear bombs and hence the need to ban
nuclear bomb proliferation, in addition to the temptation to employ it in war
fare.
We are now in the computer age, where
the modern life depends totally on the Information Communication Technology (ICT)
through the computer, a powerful product of mathematics.
The Importance
of Mathematics in the Industry
The use of mathematics in the industry
is very wide than the space in this paper can accommodate. Therefore, I shall
refer this audience to a helpful list of this important role of mathematics in
the paper, 85 Things Mathematicians Have
Been Hired to Do In Industry: https://home.sandiego.edu/-dhoffoss/careers/ cando.html.
Other
ways in which Mathematics is Important
1.
Acquisition
of logical reasoning – by precision and accuracy of reasoning through
mathematical logic.
2.
The
venture to establish logical truth of statements or propositions by the
elimination of illogical or logically untrue propositions (in the form of
negation of the truth) via the truth tables. However all such propositions must
be established to be real in life situations. In this connection, there have
been attempts in law to employ the truth table to debate cases.
3.
Achievement
of innovative nature, imaginative and creative mind. This comes with frequent
and passionate derivation of solutions to challenging mathematical problems.
4.
Mathematics
is so objective and dispassionate that its truth rides far above all human
prejudices or bigotry (racial, national, political, religious or class).
Therefore, it helps to foster unity and cooperation through national and
international mathematical association for the solution of many problems of
humanity.
Who Can Become A Successful
Mathematician?
We shall consider the following factors that are very
impactful in making a student to become a successful mathematician:
1.
Heredity:
It is true that there is an inherent mathematical aptitude
in people gifted with the ability to solve mathematical problems. However, a
student with an average intelligence (IQ) can become a good mathematician,
provided such a student satisfies other pre-requisites, especially the
psychological ones.
2.
Psychological Barrier
In the paper, Mathematics for Social Scientists7,
the lead author stated: “For many years to come, I suspect, we will merely have
to accept as a boundary condition that students in the social sciences on the
whole do not like mathematics, find it difficult, and indeed have serious psychological blocks against
learning mathematics” (emphasis mine).
The author continued in the discourse: “This fact creates
some special problems that do not exist in the teaching of mathematics to
engineers, chemists and physicists”.
A closely related
observation is that few social scientists will bother with mathematics unless
they are highly motivated – have found their lack of mathematical training a
serious handicap in their own work or have been convinced by their elders that
it will become a serious handicap”
(emphasis mine).
The psychological block manifests in the form of fear
arising from the wrong belief that mathematics is naturally very tough and
cannot be mastered. Quite often
this is the opinion of lazy students who don’t want to face any challenge and a
wrong association with them, will lead to the transfer of such negative mind
set into the minds of other gullible but able ones. As that lead author has
stated, strong motivation would help to
remove the psychological block and educational counseling is the best method to
overcome such psychological condition.
It is essential to note that career counseling must surely
have gone a long way to remediate that psychological problem in the USA after
the observation in 1953; even here in Nigeria, progress has also been made but
there are still traces of this problem which is equally manifest in the modern
study of biology.
In this connection, it is pertinent to note that the Late
Prof. S. A. Aluko of the Obafemi Awolowo University successfully re-educated
himself to acquire a Bachelor degree (B.Sc) in mathematics, while he was
already a Senior Lecturer in Economics in order to remain a real scholar and an
authority in his specialty (economics).
It is equally interesting to note that I myself who had no
credit in School Certificate mathematics initially, but by determination and through
self-education, later had my ordinary level credit in mathematics and I endured
the rigours of self-training through some aspects of Advanced Level Mathematics,
to adequately equip me for the degree course in Chemistry with Education.
It would therefore be appropriate to state that
determination, hardwork diligence, a continual and great motivation and the
passion for mathematics-based specialty, would give the student a mastery of
the relevant mathematical courses.
3. The Gender Factor
There are no biological or inherent factors that give any
surpassing intellectual ability including mathematical ability of the male over
the female persons. Negative cultural, social and mere psychological factors
are responsible for the availability of more male mathematicians than female
ones. With increasing gender equality in education and all areas of human
endeavours, some women have been proving to be equally capable or at times even
better than some men in manifesting their mathematical ability. The following
two examples illustrate this fact:
The first woman
mathematician recorded by history was Hypatia of Alexandria (AD 350 – 415), according
to Wikipedia8.
Emmy Noether has been
described by many as the most important woman in the history of mathematics,
according to Wikipedia9. She is recorded among the 20th century
mathematicians.
During my teaching career in Ede Baptist High School, in spite
of my deliberate and determined motivation of girls to study mathematics at the
University level, I just managed to succeed with one girl only.
4. A Good Educational Foundation
In the afore-mentioned paper, Mathematics for Social Scientists, the lead author gave a good
solution to the problem of psychological block against the mastery in the
needed mathematical tool for success in social science studies: “Hence to solve this problem, we need to
improve secondary education in mathematics”
In this connection, I would recommend that all pure science
and social science students be encouraged and motivated to offer Further
Mathematics (Additional mathematics) at the Secondary level. For example, we (teaching
staff) took this stand in Offa Grammar School at the period of 1997 – 2000 but
the social science students resisted the recommendation, only to their
detriment and regret later in the tertiary institutions (polytechnics and
Universities).
5. God
Connection
This
is a most crucial factor, which atheists and agnostics hate to hear in
education, but really, God the author of all lives and the entire creation has
the best plan for each life. In this regard, I have some personal testimonies,
just like some of my elders that are real and greater mathematicians in Nigeria,
who are now Church leaders. Among them are Pastors Adeboye and Kumuyi of the
Redeemed Christian Church of God and the Deeper Life Bible Church respectively.
I believe that similarly we also have some brilliant Muslim mathematicians in
Nigeria.
In
the History of mathematics, Physics, Philosophy and other fields, we have great
Muslim and Christian believers who were stars among their comrade scholars. For
example Prof. AbdulSalam of Pakistan won the Noble prize in his life time,
while being a committed Muslim. Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Blais Pascal and
many others are few among a formidable list of great Christian mathematicians
and Nobel Laureates.
Essentially,
we need to always believe in God and to pray for His help in our work for greater
intellectual ability and success, even in education and particularly as
mathematicians. This is because God is the giver of life and of knowledge,
including the gift of mathematical skill and genius.
6. Employability
of mathematicians
The
Employability Index of mathematicians, relatively speaking, at the higher levels
of education (Graduate and Post Graduate) should be about the highest, with
physics, engineering and modern technological courses and medicine following
next. This is because mathematics is universally and crucially needed in
virtually all aspects of modern civilization and mathematics-driven professions
all over the world. Therefore, the mathematician is also sure of job mobility
in the national and global dimensions. This is a great motivating factor to
motivate students to strive to become successful mathematicians, in addition to
the fame and honour always accorded great mathematicians.
7. Biological Maturity Level
Age maturity matters much because it
has a great impact on the mental and emotional degrees of maturity and the
readiness to learn abstract subjects, especially mathematics. Currently, our
secondary schools are populated by under-age children, whose parents are too
much in a hurry to speed up their children’s education. Such under-age children
are usually emotionally feeble minded and are hardly ready to face challenges.
Therefore, they fear and develop hatred
for abstract subject like mathematics. It is thus very important for parents to
be patient for their children to attain the proper age before they progress to
the secondary school. It is now a common bad practice for parents to move their
children to the secondary school by skipping primary five and six classes. The
majority of such students can hardly cope with JSS and SS mathematics because
of the foundation already missed. Moreover, this is one of the causes of
examination malpractice, in Nigerian education system.
8. The Home Background
Parental influence matters much in
influencing their children’s interest and progress in education and mathematics
in particular. Parents who are biased against or fear and hate mathematics will
surely transfer such biased mind to their children. It is therefore necessary
for parents to let their children learn from their (parents’) mistakes. The
parents should encourage their children to love, practice and have confidence
in their mathematics skill, for success.
9. Peer
Group Influence
Parents and teachers should counsel students
to avoid lazy mates, truants, and haters of education and mathematics in
particular. With proper monitoring, counseling, and encouragement, any average
students can rise to great height of success in mathematical education in life,
10. The Teacher factor
This is a most serious factor in the
context of the mathematics teacher’s quality and the teaching methodology. A well-qualified
and self-motivated teacher, with patriotic zeal and the fear of God, will
strive successfully to encourage, motivate and raise the students’ love,
passion and success in mathematics. Such a teacher will always strive to
simplify mathematical problems into simpler and solvable steps. His/her love
for the students will motivate him /her to employ practical and understanding
approach at the subject. This will help in turn to arouse the love and the
interest of the students to succeed very well in mathematics.
We
must realize that the Government and school administration should also try to
encourage the teachers in all possible ways towards the progress of the
students in mathematical education.
The
Great Mathematicians of Various Periods
We need to expose our students at all
levels of education to the biographies
of mathematicians and in fact in all specialties. This will help to fire
the passion of the students for their subject areas and in fact, that is the
major aim of studying the History and Philosophy of Mathematics and of other
subjects. We shall leave the details of the development of mathematics to our
references to the mathematicians and their discovery of the various
mathematical topics and methods.
Really, I am not a scholar in any
academic specialty not to talk of mathematics and hence I know scantily about a
few of them like Archimedes, Pythagoras, Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton,
Bertrand Russell, Alfred N. Whitehead, Leibnitz, Gödel, Hilbert, etc. Therefore,
I must leave the evaluation methods of ranking mathematicians for my superior specialists
like HRH Oba Munirudeen A. Lawal, the Timi of Ede, Acc. Kayode Oshin and others
to handle. However, I have some lists that may help budding scholars under
proven authorities:
1.
List of
pioneer Mathematicians11.
2.
Hundred
Greatest Mathematicians of the Past12.
3.
200 Greatest
Mathematicians of All the Time13.
4.
20
Mathematicians Who Change the World14.
5.
The 12
mathematicians who unlocked the Modern World15.
Some
Great Nigerian Mathematicians
The excerpt titled Mathematics in Nigeria Today16 gives us some information which need to be updated. The paper states
about indigenous contemporary mathematics research activities in modern Nigeria
pioneered by Profs. Chike Obi, Adegoke Olubunmo and James Ezeilo, who obtained
their doctorates in mathematics from British Universities in 1950’s.
Other leading mathematicians who
emerged following the pioneers include the following:
Prof. Aderemi Kuku (a two term
president of the African mathematical Union (1986 – 1995).
Prof. Mrs. Grace Alele Williams (the
first woman doctorate holder in mathematics in Nigeria. She founded the AMUCWA,
the African Mathematical Union’s Commission on Women in Mathematics in Africa.
Among the list of other Nigerian reputable mathematicians, we have:
Profs. M. A. Ibejugba, J. A. Gbaeyan, P. Onumayi, George Okikiolu
(a Nigerian mathematician who in London had reportedly published twice as many
papers as any other Black mathematician; his daughter Katherine Okikiolu won
high research awards in the USA).
Other very outstanding mathematicians are:
Iya Abubakar, G. O. S Ekhaguere, Anthony Afuwape, Charles E.
Chidume, Gabriel A. Oyibo (reportedly nominated twice for the Nobel Prize in
mathematical Physics without success yet). We have a host of other mathematical
scholars that space and time will not permit us to state in this paper. The
later part of this list was arbitrarily composed. Therefore, any seemily unfair
arrangement is regretted.
It is pertinent to say that the information on the cited
paper was that available in 1995, according to Profs. Tejumola and Ekhaguere;
therefore, it should be updated, more so that some of the mathematicians are
reportedly deceased.
Some Mathematical
Institutes and Associations
1. African Institute for Mathematical Science (AIMS), Cape Town
South Africa. It has branches in Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon, Tanzania, Rwanda.
The Nigerian centre was opened in Abuja in 2012. For more details check the
following websites:
About AIMS (https://www.aims/ac.za/en/about-aims)Teelprize.org. Archived from the original (http://www,tedprize.org/aims-abuja-opens/on 3 April 2012)
2. National Mathematical Institute in Abuja (via Google or
Opera mini, or other appropriate search engine will show the website)
3. Mathematical association of Nigeria (Available via good Internet
search engines)
4. Institute of Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy.
5. Mathematical Association of other countries, eg UK, USA,
Brazil, South Korea, India, Malaysia, China, etc
6. Institute of Mathematics or mathematical Sciences,
especially those of advanced countries like UK, USA and other countries
7. Mathematics Department of Reputable Universities eg.
University of London, Cambridge, Harvard, MIT etc.
Mathematical journals from above sources will help the
advancing mathematics students and Teachers, to increase in their knowledge and
love for mathematics.
Note: I
like to advise Mathematics Teachers and Students to go and establish or revive
the Mathematical Association branch in their respective schools.
Conclusion
Mathematics is about the most universally
needed subject in the global, national and the local contexts.
It has developed tremendously from its
crude pre-historic form over several centuries at least over four millennia to
arrive at its current glorious and most influential level in the human
civilization. It continues in its progress and tremendous influence over all
spheres of human life. However, humanity must cautiously watch that it is
always employed to serve the interest of the entire mankind.
It is most crucial that the good
foundation for mathematics must be laid in the primary and secondary
educational levels. Our children and youths must therefore be highly motivated
to have passion for this great subject. Moreover, all teachers of mathematics
must be encouraged to love the mathematics teaching profession. All our
Governments (at federal, State and Local levels) must give priority to
education with emphasis on all mathematical fields, to ensure that Nigeria and
Africa emerge, each as a developed region among the global community. This has
been the major goal of establishing the African Institute of Mathematical
Science (AIMS), through the vision of the founder, Prof. Neil Turok. The vision
is to produce the “next Einstein” and the project is tagged: The AIMS Next
Einstein Institute.
Kabiyesi, the Timi of Ede, Mr.
Chairman, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience and
listening.
Long
live Kabiyesi, the Timi of Ede,
Long
live Ede Kingdom,
Long
live Ede Baptist High School,
Long
live Osun State,
Long
live Nigeria.
Note: Please
find attached next to the references, a five-page copy of the paper: 85
Things Mathematicians Have Been Hired to Do In Industry.
References
1.
Collins English Dictionary
& Thesaurus; Collins Publishers; Great Britain, Glasgow; 2000; Wicktionary.org
2.
An excerpt: Mathematics in
the History of Civilization; Altshiller Court.
4.
Ebraim, Assad,: The
Development of Mathematics: https//mathscitech.org/articles/development _of_
mathematics
5.
Development of Mathematics;
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
6.
An excerpt from Mathematics for Social Scientists; R.
R. Bush et al; Meeting of the Mathematical Association of America at John
Hopkins University; December, 31 1953; p550.
7.
85 Things Mathematics Can Do In Industry; https://home.sandiego.edu/ ˜ dhoffoss/careers/cando.html
8.
Mathematics for Social
Scientists.
9.
History of Mathematics;
Wikipedia; https://en.wikipedia. org/
wiki/ History_of_mathematics
10. History of Mathematics; Wikipedia
11. Mathematics for Social Scientist; p553
12. An Excerpt: List of Pioneer mathematicians
13. Hundred Greatest Mathematicians of the past,
14. 200 Greatest Mathematicians of All the Time;
15. 20 Mathematicians Who changed the World:
http:
www.businessinsider.com/important_mathematicians_mofdern.
16. The 12 Mathematicians Who Unlocked The Modern
World;http://businessinsider.com/12-classic-mathematicians-2014-7…
17. Mathematics in Nigeria Today; http://www.math.buffalo
.edu/mad/Africa-today/nigeria_math-toda..
18. Various Journals of the Mathematical
Associations of Nigeria, The UK, USA and of other countries.
Note: Wikipedia’s History of Mathematics (among the cited
references above) is very rich both in the account of the Development of
Mathematics and helpful biographical references with their respective websites.
This
paper was written and delivered by Pastor Isaiah Olusegun Olusola (Formerly Mr.
Isaiah Olusola Olasupo), who was a former Science and Mathematics Teacher in
Ede Baptist High School and some secondary schools across Osun and Kwara State
(1972 – 2000)
Contacts:
CAC, Christ Victory Assembly
Victory Model School,
P. O. Box 370, Offa, Kwara State.
Tel: 08061230062, 07051348650
e-Mail:
isaiaholusola2014@gmail.com
