Students and staff discuss the importance of knowledge in the fields of faith and mathematics
Math and faith are two things that rarely get mixed together. The math department, specifically the Math and Physics Fellows program, are doing their best to change that, as they have been spending time discussing faith integration into mathematics throughout the semester.
On Friday, Dec. 1, a discussion was held concerning this subject. The discussion, which took place in Segerstrom 141, created a conversation about the book “Mathematics: Through The Eyes of Faith” by James Bradley and Russell Howell. This week’s conversation centered around chapter 9, a chapter that spent most of its time on epistemology.
Epistemology is defined as the philosophy of knowledge: What we know and how we can know it. The majority of the talk centered around how epistemology can be used to determine where knowledge comes from.
As a part of the Math Fellows program, sophomore mathematics major Kurt Hake was chosen to lead a math and faith discussion. Hake kept the discussion focused on epistemology and its affect on Christian mathematicians. He also emphasized how people can use knowledge without actually experiencing it themselves, using numbers as a prime example.
“We can conquer it [numbers] without actually experiencing it,” Hake said.
Other students had a different view of knowledge as a whole, including Chase Molenaar, an honors humanities and applied mathematics major. Molenaar argued that experiencing is an important aspect of knowing.
“I think it [knowledge] starts with experience.” Molenaar said, describing how numbers are used throughout mathematics through practical means.
Visual aids were also used throughout the discussion. One of the professors erased four circles that were previously drawn on the board, symbolizing how knowledge over math definitions works differently compared to other forms of knowledge.
“I can erase that but it doesn’t erase four completely,” said Mark Arvidson, a professor of department of mathematics and physics and director of the Math Fellows program.
There were many other subsets of epistemology that were a part of the conversation as well. Students and staff discuss what it means to be true and what knowledge of the truth can reveal to mathematicians.
“The proof of the truth is that it works,” Arvidson said. “Why does it work?”
Epistemology also addresses order within disorder. Mathematicians try to decipher the parts of life that do not have a clear answer. Sometimes data cannot entirely predict the future, raising the question of how much math can predict and whether or not people will begin to view mathematics are obsolete.
These were the types of questions that were raised during this discussion. This was especially intriguing to Department of Mathematics and Physics professor Rodney Sturdivant, who prior to entering APU, did not view math in such a manner.
“Before I came to APU, I did not understand this idea of faith integration.” Sturdivant said. “[I] still don’t to a certain extent.”
The Department of Mathematics and Physics aspires to do more than just haphazardly add faith integration into their curriculum. The program wants to create a dialogue that will stick with its students long after their studies at APU.
The purpose of these discussions is clear: To create and cultivate the mindset that math and faith do not have to be separate all the time. There is plenty of room for discussion in this field of study. Mathematicians enjoy exploring new horizons in calculations and research and the same can be said about getting closer to God.
These discussions focused on combining mathematics and faith will continue into next semester, although an official date has yet to be announced.