A book that you can count on

Updated on: Monday, January 09, 2012

For many students, just the thought of numbers, abstract formulae and theorems is frightening. A. Deepa is one such student of class IX, Chennai High School (CHS), MMDA Colony, who says she has a math phobia, since she cannot remember the formulae taught in classes while taking her examination.

“Mathematics is taught in such a way that students are forced to memorise theorems, and there is very little visualisation,” says R. Sivaraman, author of the book ‘Enngalin Ennangal' which was released on Sunday.

Students would understand the subject better if they can see things like they do in subjects such as chemistry and physics where concepts are taught in labs, rather than mere equations written on the blackboard. Often, mathematics is explained in a manner that makes it seem very abstract and disconnected, and that is why students are scared of the subject, says Mr. Sivaraman.

An attempt to simplify mathematics, the book conveys meaning of numbers in our day-to-day life and portrays the connection between numbers and geometry using nearly 200 colour diagrams and visuals. It is written in Tamil.

“The concept of maximum packing density for example, is already used by fruit vendors when they stack fruits. While teaching concepts, if teachers are able to demonstrate and explain such things it will be clearer,” he says.

Launching the book V. Irai Anbu, Secretary, Personal and Administrative Reforms (Training), spoke on the presence of mathematics in every discipline.

“Mathematics is the purest form of science, and it is there in history, literature, music and even biology. A sense of numbers exists in all life forms. A hen for example knows immediately when even one egg is missing from its nest,” he said, stressing that mathematics is intrinsically present everywhere.

The book launch was organised by the Pie Mathematics Association.

A book that you can count on

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