Section 03 — Mathematics as a Language

Course: LBS 110 – Mathematics for Modern Thinkers

Session Overview

Mathematics isn’t just numbers—it’s a language that reveals patterns, logic, and beauty. In this session, you’ll explore why math matters beyond computation—from philosophical critiques to visual storytelling and live narrative. The goal is to see math as an expressive art and meaningful lens, not just formulas.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, you will:

• Encounter mathematical thinking through critique, visualization, and narrative
• Notice where mathematics expresses pattern, story, or structure
• Translate real experiences into numeric or visual form
• Reflect on how math changes your experience of the world

Session Flow

1. Set Intention

Before starting, take a moment: Where have you seen math in your daily life—like rhythms, shapes, or hidden order? Let that sense guide your attention.

2. Read

• Paul Lockhart, A Mathematician’s Lament
  Link: https://www.maa.org/sites/default/files/pdf/devlin/Lament.pdf

• Galileo Galilei, The Assayer (excerpt)
  Link: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37710/37710-pdf.pdf
  (Look for Chapter II: “The Mathematical Language of Nature”)

3. Watch

• Numberphile — Why Do We Need Numbers? (~15 min)
  Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHZt8eBKcRA

• Vi Hart — Doodling in Math Class: Triangle Party (~3 min)
  Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6KlpIWhbcw

4. Listen

• Radiolab — The Math of Everyday Life (segment; ~30 min)
  Link: https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab
  (Search for segments on math—suggested: “Numbers,” “Stochasticity,” or “Poisson Curve”)

5. Reflect While Engaging

Capture your thoughts as you read, watch, and listen: - Where does math feel alive or meaningful?
- Which resource felt most vivid?
- Doodle, note, question—don’t hold back.

Key Quote Box

Write one line or idea that charmed or challenged you:

“_____________”

Practice Blocks

Translate Your Section into Numbers

Pick a routine activity—like your morning or lunch. Describe it in prose, then annotate it numerically (e.g., how many steps, measurements, durations).

Create a Pattern

Draw a visual pattern—spirals, grids, tessellations. Add numeric annotations showing structure or relationships.

Compare Perspectives

Write ~2 pages answering: Is nature written in the language of mathematics?
Use personal examples—like patterns you see in music, trees, architecture, or social behavior.

Reflection

Journal your thoughts: - How does seeing mathematically change your experience?
- What emotions come up when you see the world as pattern?

Optional Hard Problem

Explore the Fibonacci spiral or other natural ratios: - Make a visual collection: shells, pinecones, leaf patterns, galaxy spirals
- Reflect: does math explain their beauty—or just describe it?

Notes

• Split across sessions if needed—this is exploration, not a test
• If you get stuck in abstraction, go tactile—draw, measure, count something real
• This session is about developing a mathematical sensibility, not mastering formulas