- M athematics -
MATHEMATICS Mathematics is about recognizing form and pattern. The symbols and notation used to organize, manipulate and explore these patterns can seem arcane and divorced from reality for students at times. It is the department’s goal
to consistently remind students of the connections between the material presented and real-world problems. But the discipline should not be thought of as simply a tool for scientists to communicate with, a mere means to an end. Mathematics has the unique privilege in American curricula to introduce students for the first time to a complete and coherent system of deductive reasoning. This exposure to the precepts of formal logic and valid argument not only benefit students’ development as
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mathematicians, but are part of their more general liberal arts education. To think analytically and, eventually, communicate those ideas in a clear and concise manner, is a huge part of what mathematics courses at Landon are trying to instill. To back up statements with reasons, to give specific examples that clarify generalities, and to explain concepts from several different perspectives is at the heart of what mathematics encourages. Our practical mission is to prepare our boys to be successful in their college mathematics courses, but our ultimate goal is to make sure students graduating from Landon have the wherewithal to effectively use mathematical ideas and methods in the many life endeavors which require them. To accomplish this, Landon’s Mathematics Department has the first aim of engendering a love of the subject in our students. Mathematicians and mathematics educators themselves have different reasons for loving the discipline. Many appreciate its formal rigor and seeming lack of ambiguity. Others revel in its wide-ranging application to almost every pursuit of knowledge, most notably in the natural sciences but just as surely in the social and political sciences. While still others treasure most of all the elegance and purity of a
