December 8: Math Advent with SusieJ

Math

It just works.

Math comes out the same time and time again. It works backwards and forwards. You can take what works under some conditions and generalize it to all conditions.

Often more than one way will get to the result. It could be lot of tiny steps, or a giant leap of logic and inspiration to the end. Even if the path to the result isn't clear, just getting through the first steps is enough to get to the end.

Some parts of math are more favorite than others: logarithms, learned during sophomore year sitting next to someone who is still one of my best friends; relativity, because it was pure math and dragged my physics grade up; the Pythagorean theorem, which Dad taught me; and algebra because it's all about properties and relations.

Vanillekipferln: vanilla nut crescents

One way I keep math in my daily life is converting metric recipes into American measurements, like with these easy-to-make rich, nutty cookies. The recipe is easily doubled and forming the cookies is very meditative.

A streetlight at night in Old City Philadelphia with a large, lighted snowflake decoration hanging from it.

A lot of math goes into snowflakes.