I major in computational mathematics. If you are like most of the people I say this to, you might be wondering what that mean. Because of this confusion, I have started to tell people that I major in problem solving, since that is the true core of my major.
Ever since I was young, I have been infatuated by numbers and problem solving. I used to count powers of 2 in my head for fun. Number puzzles, such as sudoku and nonograms (see right), have always piqued my curiosity and challenged my intellect. With time, I have developed a routine of recording personal information, like habits, time asleep and emotions, to better understand myself (Read more here).
I grew up around computers and it was just a matter of time before I started programming. Khan Academy and the Hour of Code organization were my first introductions to the coding world. I made simple programs to draw pictures, solve puzzles, and make games.
With time, my naïve playfulness with coding became a diligent effort to solve problems. I improve my coding skills with challenges from Project Euler, and I have used python for several projects, such as habit tracking analysis. In class, I have used MATLAB to find the best fit line for CO_2 levels, and find how not-flat the surface of the ocean is.
The world is inherently festered with problems of all sorts. From small ones, like what should I have for breakfast, to global ones, such as climate change. Math is the language we use to quantify and evaluate decisions. And, in the contemporary world computers are great forces that can speed up these processes. Thus, computers and math decide our future, and that’s why I am so passionate about my major!
