Hi. If I started talking about life in five dimensions,
you might think I was describing some sort of
science fiction universe. But actually, we work
with higher dimensions all the time. As an actuary,
when we calculate insurance premiums, we often
consider things like age and gender, smoking
status, income, and place of residence. Each
of these becomes a category that helps us better
understand risk. In mathematics, we could also
assign each category a variable, like u, v, x,
y, and z. Suddenly, we are working in five -dimensional
space. Now, while that sounds abstract, the idea
is actually quite practical. In math, when we
talk about dimensions, we are really talking
about different ways of understanding a problem.
The assumption is that adding the right dimensions
helps us to see reality more clearly. And sometimes
choosing the right dimension completely transforms
understanding. For example, there was a time
when people did not fully understand the health
impact of smoking. But once smoking status became
part of our analysis, insurance companies could
better understand and manage risk. A new dimension
transformed understanding. And today, we think
this way constantly because of our explosion
of data. For example, I like baseball, and for
over 100 years, players mostly played defense
in fixed positions. Then, teams began analyzing
data differently. and introduced defensive shifts.
A new dimension of information transformed baseball
strategy. The deeper idea is that identifying
which dimensions matter is often the most important
and creative part of the process. Unfortunately,
when we first learn mathematics in school, we
often focus mostly on mechanics, solving two
equations with two unknowns. and then maybe three
equations with three unknowns. But because mathematics
is abstract, we can work in any number of dimensions.
So our bigger question becomes, which dimensions
actually matter? The same concept applies to
how I view math itself. We often think of algebra,
geometry, and calculus as isolated subjects.
But one of the most beautiful parts of mathematics
is discovering they are deeply connected. They
are not separate islands. They are connected
branches of one enormous living tree. Mathematics
is constantly growing into new areas. New ideas
emerge from old ones. Patterns extend into surprising
places. A small mathematical idea in one century
can grow into entirely new dimensions centuries
later. The more I see these connections, the
more mathematics feels alive to me. It's growing,
expanding, always revealing deeper patterns underneath
the surface. This growth mindset has not only
deeply influenced, how I see math, but it is
also expanded to all areas of life, including
my faith. It begins because I do not view faith
as one isolated branch, compartmentalized from
the rest of life. Math shapes how I think about
faith. Faith shapes how I think about math. And
both are refined through experiences in life.
such as relationships, suffering, beauty, and
wonder. So this week, as we explore different
dimensions of math, I hope it sparks wonder and
awe, not only for math, but for life itself.
Because I've found that exploring new dimensions
is not merely about adding knowledge. It is about
being transformed. It changes how I think, how
I see, and how I live. So here's a thought to
jumpstart our week. Perhaps transformation begins
the moment that we realize we are not simply
analyzing isolated branches, but we're discovering
a living whole.