WEBVTT 00:00:01.520 --> 00:00:05.879 Hi. If I started talking about life in five dimensions, 00:00:06.259 --> 00:00:09.439 you might think I was describing some sort of 00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:13.099 science fiction universe. But actually, we work 00:00:13.099 --> 00:00:16.800 with higher dimensions all the time. As an actuary, 00:00:16.899 --> 00:00:19.739 when we calculate insurance premiums, we often 00:00:19.739 --> 00:00:23.239 consider things like age and gender, smoking 00:00:23.239 --> 00:00:27.920 status, income, and place of residence. Each 00:00:27.920 --> 00:00:30.500 of these becomes a category that helps us better 00:00:30.500 --> 00:00:34.259 understand risk. In mathematics, we could also 00:00:34.259 --> 00:00:38.759 assign each category a variable, like u, v, x, 00:00:38.759 --> 00:00:44.659 y, and z. Suddenly, we are working in five -dimensional 00:00:44.659 --> 00:00:49.200 space. Now, while that sounds abstract, the idea 00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:53.700 is actually quite practical. In math, when we 00:00:53.700 --> 00:00:56.509 talk about dimensions, we are really talking 00:00:56.509 --> 00:00:59.049 about different ways of understanding a problem. 00:00:59.429 --> 00:01:02.270 The assumption is that adding the right dimensions 00:01:02.270 --> 00:01:07.469 helps us to see reality more clearly. And sometimes 00:01:07.469 --> 00:01:11.010 choosing the right dimension completely transforms 00:01:11.010 --> 00:01:15.129 understanding. For example, there was a time 00:01:15.129 --> 00:01:17.530 when people did not fully understand the health 00:01:17.530 --> 00:01:21.129 impact of smoking. But once smoking status became 00:01:21.129 --> 00:01:24.480 part of our analysis, insurance companies could 00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:28.700 better understand and manage risk. A new dimension 00:01:28.700 --> 00:01:33.540 transformed understanding. And today, we think 00:01:33.540 --> 00:01:36.719 this way constantly because of our explosion 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:41.900 of data. For example, I like baseball, and for 00:01:41.900 --> 00:01:46.079 over 100 years, players mostly played defense 00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:50.819 in fixed positions. Then, teams began analyzing 00:01:50.819 --> 00:01:54.049 data differently. and introduced defensive shifts. 00:01:54.709 --> 00:01:59.269 A new dimension of information transformed baseball 00:01:59.269 --> 00:02:04.069 strategy. The deeper idea is that identifying 00:02:04.069 --> 00:02:07.950 which dimensions matter is often the most important 00:02:07.950 --> 00:02:12.030 and creative part of the process. Unfortunately, 00:02:12.370 --> 00:02:15.689 when we first learn mathematics in school, we 00:02:15.689 --> 00:02:19.389 often focus mostly on mechanics, solving two 00:02:19.389 --> 00:02:22.789 equations with two unknowns. and then maybe three 00:02:22.789 --> 00:02:26.090 equations with three unknowns. But because mathematics 00:02:26.090 --> 00:02:30.009 is abstract, we can work in any number of dimensions. 00:02:30.629 --> 00:02:34.169 So our bigger question becomes, which dimensions 00:02:34.169 --> 00:02:38.870 actually matter? The same concept applies to 00:02:38.870 --> 00:02:42.409 how I view math itself. We often think of algebra, 00:02:42.610 --> 00:02:46.169 geometry, and calculus as isolated subjects. 00:02:46.750 --> 00:02:49.629 But one of the most beautiful parts of mathematics 00:02:50.520 --> 00:02:54.879 is discovering they are deeply connected. They 00:02:54.879 --> 00:02:58.280 are not separate islands. They are connected 00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:05.520 branches of one enormous living tree. Mathematics 00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:09.199 is constantly growing into new areas. New ideas 00:03:09.199 --> 00:03:13.680 emerge from old ones. Patterns extend into surprising 00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:18.319 places. A small mathematical idea in one century 00:03:18.319 --> 00:03:22.439 can grow into entirely new dimensions centuries 00:03:22.439 --> 00:03:27.159 later. The more I see these connections, the 00:03:27.159 --> 00:03:32.460 more mathematics feels alive to me. It's growing, 00:03:32.659 --> 00:03:38.439 expanding, always revealing deeper patterns underneath 00:03:38.439 --> 00:03:43.780 the surface. This growth mindset has not only 00:03:43.780 --> 00:03:47.319 deeply influenced, how I see math, but it is 00:03:47.319 --> 00:03:51.259 also expanded to all areas of life, including 00:03:51.259 --> 00:03:56.300 my faith. It begins because I do not view faith 00:03:56.300 --> 00:04:00.479 as one isolated branch, compartmentalized from 00:04:00.479 --> 00:04:05.199 the rest of life. Math shapes how I think about 00:04:05.199 --> 00:04:09.939 faith. Faith shapes how I think about math. And 00:04:09.939 --> 00:04:13.800 both are refined through experiences in life. 00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:19.399 such as relationships, suffering, beauty, and 00:04:19.399 --> 00:04:24.079 wonder. So this week, as we explore different 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:28.420 dimensions of math, I hope it sparks wonder and 00:04:28.420 --> 00:04:32.620 awe, not only for math, but for life itself. 00:04:33.540 --> 00:04:36.360 Because I've found that exploring new dimensions 00:04:36.360 --> 00:04:41.699 is not merely about adding knowledge. It is about 00:04:41.699 --> 00:04:47.100 being transformed. It changes how I think, how 00:04:47.100 --> 00:04:52.360 I see, and how I live. So here's a thought to 00:04:52.360 --> 00:04:56.959 jumpstart our week. Perhaps transformation begins 00:04:56.959 --> 00:05:00.019 the moment that we realize we are not simply 00:05:00.019 --> 00:05:04.519 analyzing isolated branches, but we're discovering 00:05:04.519 --> 00:05:06.540 a living whole.