I loved the Pythagorean Theorum as a young girl, as soon as I heard the name. Named for Pythagorus, who I actually found books on and read about.
I could even recite the theorum - A squared plus B squared = C squared.
But I didn't really understand how to use it in practice. That was geometry, and ever since high school, I've had a fear block on anything that had to do with measuring shapes.
My geometry teacher was...well, weird. He wasn't a person a young person found themselves wanting to talk to, because he would stare at you, or through you, when you tried to talk to him. And then he would say something that I didn't understand at all in a very impatient tone of voice, and I would then be afraid to ask any follow-up questions, and then sit down with a sinking feeling in my stomach, knowing that I was about to be tested on this.
Most people who don't understand math as a kid have a sort of break like this somewhere, I've found. A teacher relationship gone wrong, or just not comfortable enough to ask questions, or maybe hungry or tired because of a bad family situation. It could be any number of things. That was my break.
After that 'C' in the geometry class (I never failed a class in high school, but I came close sometimes), I never wanted to feel that sinking feeling in my stomach ever again. I had one more math class after that - Algebra II/Trigonometry with a big guy with gray hair as my teacher. Again, a very gruff treatment of us as students, and I really don't remember how well I did (or much of that class really - must have blocked it out), but somehow I graduated high school, very unprepared mathematically-speaking.
So I'm watching the Khan Academy videos on the Pythagorean Theorem, alternating between boredom and terrible high school flashbacks of my geometry class, when he says a word I recognize...
Hypotenuse.
The hypotenuse is the line directly opposite the right angle of a right-angle triangle. Which sparked a more pleasant association for me...one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite movie musicals of all time.
The Pirates of Penzance is a story about pirates, and Frederick the pirate has left the band and wants to become respectable and marry the Major-General's daughter Mabel. So the other pirates sweep in to marry off all his other daughters (he has a LOT of daughters), but then the Major-General shows up to stop them...by singing this sort of bragging, patter-song about all the things he knows, including 'many cheerful facts about the square of the the hypotenuse'.
I couldn't believe it! A math reference in one of my favorites shows, and I'd never noticed! It was hiding in plain sight.
Out of curiosity, I listened to the song again, and there was more that I missed!
He sings about 'integral and differential calculus' (not the easiest word to rhyme - Gilbert and Sullivan managed to do it with 'beings animalculus', which I thought was made up, but is actually a real scientific term for tiny animals) and 'equations, both the simple and quadratical' and 'binomial theorem'. I knew these words! My son last year was telling me about integral and differential calculus! I still don't know what it is, but it's a real thing! And someday I will know! Maybe this year!
Not only is my math studies enriching my life and future job prospects in general, but it's bringing out aspects of other parts of life I've loved, but never fully understood before. Amazing!
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