Leonard Euler never seemed to be the kind of
person who would change the world. But at the
court of Frederick the Great, Voltaire captivated
people with his wit while Euler humbly pursued
mathematics. Later, Euler even lost most of his
eyesight. And yet today, Euler's ideas remain
foundational to mathematics. to science and even
engineering. His life reminds me that lasting
influence is not built on charisma or recognition.
It is built on faithfully pursuing the truth.
This week, we're seeing how math can teach us
humility. And that is a good thing. So today
our focus is that mathematics does not play favorites.
It does not care who you are. It doesn't care
how old you are, or how much money you have,
or what country you came from, even what language
you speak, or what title comes before your name.
A correct proof is correct because of the reasoning,
not because of the person presenting it. And
likewise, an incorrect proof does not become
correct just because it was written by someone
famous. And that's one of the things I find so
refreshing about mathematics. In many areas of
life, it is easy to be influenced by status.
We naturally give more weight to people with
impressive credentials or strong personalities.
And sometimes that is okay. Experience certainly
matters. But mathematics gives us a powerful
reminder that authority and truth are not the
same thing. A professor can make an algebra mistake.
Think me, a beginning student can notice it.
The mathematics does not become offended. It
simply asks, which argument is logically valid?
Now, in my mind, that should give us all a little
dose of humility. It reminds us to evaluate ideas
on their merits rather than on the reputation
of the person who is presenting the ideas. It
also reminds us that every person is worth listening
to. You just never know who might notice the
assumptions that everyone else overlooked or
might discover a simpler way to solve a problem.
Some of the greatest advances in math have come
from people who challenged accepted ideas, not
by being louder or more influential, but by presenting
better reasoning. Think Euler. And that's how
mathematics progresses, not by popularity or
hierarchy, but by truth. Now, this does not mean
expertise is not valuable, because it clearly
is. Experienced mathematicians have developed
intuition and judgment, and a deep understanding
that beginners simply have not had time to build.
But even experts remain accountable. to the same
logical standards as everyone else. So in that
sense, mathematics is wonderfully fair. We are
all playing by the same rules. I think that extends
beyond mathematics because humility is about
being willing to listen. It means recognizing
that good ideas can come from unexpected places.
So I think one of our greatest challenges especially
for the smart folks out there, is that our own
ideas should be examined just as carefully as
everyone else's. When we approach math with that
attitude, we do not just become better problem
solvers, we become better learners. Okay, I'm
going to end on a positive note with this quote
from Paul Lockhart. mathematics is a means of
constantly evolving and changing myself, becoming
reborn as a person who sees in a new way, I love
this part, and cannot unsee. I feel so grateful.
I get to have this amazing playground in my head,
and so do you.