The mathematical key by Brennan

The mathematical key by Brennan - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

This essay will be addressing the proposed question "What is the most important lesson you've learned from a teacher?" like most I thought of going down a sentimental path. I could tell you of a teacher that taught me that curiosity is a gift not a curse. I could tell you of a teacher that taught me the joy of learning something new. I could even tell you an inspirational story of a teacher that saw past my misbehavior and set me on my mathematical path.

I decided to address something far more fundamental, this is something every person is taught and often one of the earliest lessons we as children learn. The most important lesson a teacher ever taught me is that 1+1=2. Without a thorough understanding and application of that concept everything that separates man from beast (in other words technology) would be impossible and reduced to nothing within just a few generations. The statement 1+1=2 lays the foundation for all interactions, it sets a measure for somethings worth, distance, and resource amount. The application of this concept allows for the understanding of things immediate to us (like how many remotes we currently have or the number of apples in the fridge) to the mind bending concepts like, 1st 2nd and 3rd dimensions.

To summarize once more the most important lesson any teacher ever taught me is the equation 1+1=2. The sheer weight and importance of so small and simple an equation cannot be expressed in so short an essay. I doubt all the paper in the world could do it justice. Thank you for taking the time to read this essay, while I'm sure it did not teach you anything new I hope it helped drive home the importance of a simple equation.