Yujian mathematics
March 10 creator in the field of quality education
Mathematics is an important part of human culture, and mathematics is a kind of culture, which Zheng Yuxin, a professor at NTU, thinks is intangible. (See Mathematics: Intangible Culture-On the Cultural Value of Mathematics, Journal of Nanjing University: Philosophy, Humanities and Social Sciences Edition,No. 1994,No. 1), and rational spirit is the core of mathematical culture. (See The Core of Mathematical Culture is the Rational Spirit of Mathematics, Educational Modernization (Electronic Edition),No. 10, No.20 17). On the topic of rational spirit in mathematics, many experts and scholars who have made great achievements in mathematics and mathematics education have long recognized this point. For example, American mathematician M. Klein wrote in his masterpiece Mathematics in Western Culture:
"Mathematics is a spirit, a rational spirit. It is this spirit that inspires, promotes, inspires and drives human thinking to the most perfect degree, and it is this spirit that tries to decisively influence human material, moral and social life; Trying to answer questions about human existence; Strive to understand and control nature; Try your best to explore and establish the deepest and most perfect connotation of the acquired knowledge. "
For another example, the book "Spirit, Thought and Method of Mathematics" by Mi Shan Kunsan, a Japanese mathematics educator, made an incisive exposition on the rational spirit of mathematics, so I won't go into details here.
So, what is rational spirit? The so-called rational spirit refers to the spirit of abstracting, summarizing, analyzing and synthesizing perceptual materials, forming rational cognitive activities of concepts, judgments or reasoning, and looking for the essence, laws and internal relations of things. "Everyone has the ability to know the world and can know the world; Adhere to the rational (or rational) or rational-based thinking method as the criterion for judging truth and falsehood. These two basic points are the connotation of rational spirit, "said Mr. Zhang Naida, a famous special math teacher." "The essence of rational spirit is to pursue truth, seek truth from facts, think independently, reflect positively, be brave in doubt and criticism, and innovate constantly. I firmly believe that science can lead mankind to achieve self-transcendence and development, and move from the realm of necessity to the realm of freedom. More precisely, rational spirit is a kind of belief, which is manifested in the pursuit of truth. Therefore, we can think that the rational spirit of mathematics is the spirit embodied in the process of pursuing logic, freedom and universal laws and surpassing external interference.
It should be emphasized that the rational spirit of mathematics has played a very important role in all the changes of human ideological emancipation. Take mathematics as an example: generally speaking, in order to understand higher-order equations, create a matrix; In order to solve three difficult problems in geometric drawing, the theory of conic curve is established. These pursuits of the rational spirit of mathematics not only meet the psychological needs of human beings to explore the unknown, but also make the subject of mathematics develop continuously. Specifically, even in the process of solving a mathematical problem, the problem solver needs long-term calm thinking and perseverance to try, and the obtained problem-solving law is the product of rational exploration spirit, and rational exploration activities have become the constant pursuit of mathematics. It can be seen that rational thinking is inseparable from the domination of rational spirit, and rational thought and culture embody rational spirit.
It must be pointed out that modern mathematics emphasizes speculative factors and requires people to establish internal relations between things, so as to achieve the purpose of understanding the internal nature of things and solving problems. The adopted mathematical method is a universal thinking method, which is manifested in organizing practical materials with mathematical methods, full of speculative colors, updating mathematical methods, expanding the cognitive field of mathematics, and becoming an example of scientific thinking methods, thus further demonstrating the rational spirit of mathematics.
If we have a higher understanding of the rational spirit of mathematics at a higher level, it is necessary to quote a sentence said by Comrade Mao Zedong, the founder of People's Republic of China (PRC): "People should have a little spirit", and the spirit here refers to a belief and a realm. In a sense, it is rational and has the rational spirit of mathematics, which illustrates this point:
I remember 10 years ago, I published an article entitled Random Thoughts on Mathematics. At that time, Professor Xu Lizhi, a famous mathematician in Suzhou, who was 88 years old, said to me, "Mathematics makes people happy, mathematics makes people healthy and mathematics makes people live longer." This is his experience and a summary of his wandering practice in the deep sea of mathematics for decades. For another example, more than 40 years ago, when the reportage Goldbach Conjecture by the famous writer Xu Chi was published in People's Literature and reprinted by major media, Chen Jingrun, who was not well known, suddenly became a well-known news figure, and the mathematician Chen Jingrun's touching deeds, dedication, selfless dedication and scientific spirit of sticking to the truth became the source of strength for millions of people to climb the peak of mathematics. These two examples are enough to illustrate the power of spirit and perfectly explain the refreshing and intelligent life of mathematicians under firm belief.
About the author: Yin, a senior lecturer in the first batch of secondary vocational schools in Jiangsu Province, a master tutor in Suzhou University, and an adjunct professor in Suzhou University of Science and Technology.