Philosophy of Mathematics: A Business Perspective
When I think of mathematics, I think of finding derivatives and connecting it to the slope of a line, organizing data into a table and finding the interquartile range, and linking remainders of a divisor to a lesson I learned about modules in sophomore year of college. However, to most people, math is the subject they never want to talk about again. What these people don’t know is mathematics is used by everyone in their daily lives whether it be calculating the amount of change you get when buying a cup of coffee or even using an odometer to measure how many steps you’ve walked. More broadly, mathematics is used as the foundation of many fields of study to predict, formulate, and observe data. Accounting and Data Analytics are prime examples where mathematics plays a big role in the outcome of a problem.
In accounting, we use mathematics to determine the depreciation of property, plant, and equipment over a period of time, formulate a precise balance sheet and income statement, and so many other ways. In school right now, I am learning new ways to calculate and relate data to predict the best way to invest money in the money market. My knowledge of mathematics through college has given me a better understanding of relationships when applying them in my business and accounting courses. In fact, if it weren’t for mathematics, I wouldn’t be pursuing a degree in accounting. Part of this “training” in mathematics has built transferable skills that allow me to excel in these courses as well as in experiences outside of college. Problem-solving and critical thinking are upon the two most well received skills that I have learned in the four years of math I completed at Mount Saint Mary College. For any problem that needs a solution, one must use reasoning to formulate logical arguments and omit the ones that are illogical. I have excelled in my internships and the analyzing of budgets for the clubs and organizations I am apart of to create a strategic way of completing each task. Specifically, over the summer, I work in the accounting and finance department for a minor league baseball team and offered strategic solutions to hardships of managing the flow of money during a game. These solutions reduced the amount of cash in each register and overall improved the timeliness of counting. Forming relationships between different variables and connecting that data to each assignment given to me is how I explore my mind to creatively come to a conclusion.
In Mathematics, you also have to be confident in the answer. You must be confident in the work you’ve provided and the solution you derive. Mathematics has taught me that for every solution, there can be numerous ways to derive the answer. For example, when calculating the depreciation of equipment, there are different ways to conclude an answer based on the generally accepted accounting principles. Just like solving for depreciation, life may give you different obstacles along the way, but know there are multiple ways to analyze that obstacle, and different paths for you to choose as well. I’ve appreciated math as long as I can remember, and by perfecting my skills and always learning new ones, I am ready to see what problems I’ll be solving next.
When I think of mathematics, I think of finding derivatives and connecting it to the slope of a line, organizing data into a table and finding the interquartile range, and linking remainders of a divisor to a lesson I learned about modules in sophomore year of college. However, to most people, math is the subject they never want to talk about again. What these people don’t know is mathematics is used by everyone in their daily lives whether it be calculating the amount of change you get when buying a cup of coffee or even using an odometer to measure how many steps you’ve walked. More broadly, mathematics is used as the foundation of many fields of study to predict, formulate, and observe data. Accounting and Data Analytics are prime examples where mathematics plays a big role in the outcome of a problem.
In accounting, we use mathematics to determine the depreciation of property, plant, and equipment over a period of time, formulate a precise balance sheet and income statement, and so many other ways. In school right now, I am learning new ways to calculate and relate data to predict the best way to invest money in the money market. My knowledge of mathematics through college has given me a better understanding of relationships when applying them in my business and accounting courses. In fact, if it weren’t for mathematics, I wouldn’t be pursuing a degree in accounting. Part of this “training” in mathematics has built transferable skills that allow me to excel in these courses as well as in experiences outside of college. Problem-solving and critical thinking are upon the two most well received skills that I have learned in the four years of math I completed at Mount Saint Mary College. For any problem that needs a solution, one must use reasoning to formulate logical arguments and omit the ones that are illogical. I have excelled in my internships and the analyzing of budgets for the clubs and organizations I am apart of to create a strategic way of completing each task. Specifically, over the summer, I work in the accounting and finance department for a minor league baseball team and offered strategic solutions to hardships of managing the flow of money during a game. These solutions reduced the amount of cash in each register and overall improved the timeliness of counting. Forming relationships between different variables and connecting that data to each assignment given to me is how I explore my mind to creatively come to a conclusion.
In Mathematics, you also have to be confident in the answer. You must be confident in the work you’ve provided and the solution you derive. Mathematics has taught me that for every solution, there can be numerous ways to derive the answer. For example, when calculating the depreciation of equipment, there are different ways to conclude an answer based on the generally accepted accounting principles. Just like solving for depreciation, life may give you different obstacles along the way, but know there are multiple ways to analyze that obstacle, and different paths for you to choose as well. I’ve appreciated math as long as I can remember, and by perfecting my skills and always learning new ones, I am ready to see what problems I’ll be solving next.