Peter Strader

Stage 1
Mathematics

The field of mathematics is extensive and diverse, with many categories of maths that are
either pure and exist as academic endeavors or applicable and permeate our daily lives. Math can
be represented in several ways algebraically or geometrically. It can be finite as in discrete
systems, or it can be infinite, like continuous. This paper will cover these subjects as well my
college experience with them. I will discuss how mathematics has challenged me to develop and
overcome certain learning challenges, my research in using integrated technologies to
mathematically model differential systems. Lastly, I will discuss the importance of maths role in
other subjects I have studied.

When we consider categorizing maths, the two largest divisions we get is the studies of
continuous systems and the studies of discrete systems. There are many ways this can be defined.
One would be considering whether the field of mathematics is over the real numbers, like
calculus. The other would be to consider if your subject is over subsets of such a system. Like
the finite natural numbers or integers. These would pertain discrete mathematics. So with
subjects like Calculus (1,2,3) and Real Analysis we have points where we can graphically model
these continuous functions without lifting our pen and have no breaks in the evaluation over
the real numbers. Where as in Discrete mathematics, when we have the chance to plot a system
we often find ourselves plotting points rather than lines. This is because of course there are only
whole numbers in most finite number sets.

It was with these differences in the subjects that I often found myself struggling with.
When it came to continuous mathematics like calculus it was a matter of simply trying to
remember the algebraic and trigonometric functions in order to calculate an answer or to
implicate it in some graphing exercise. For the most part early mathematics like calculus were
tedium, the basics needed for endeavors into physics and higher mathematics. It wasnt until the
critical thinking of Real Analysis that I began to be bogged down by continuous systems. For
example consider infinity, in the real numbers you can find it everywhere. You can use limit as a
tool to help you say infinity exists at both ends of the number line where one is in the negative
the other in the positives. You can also say infinity exists between two values, like one and two,
all you have to do is think on how many real numbers exist between one and two, and then you
see there are infinitely many. In real analysis we could define end points to seemingly make what
was continuous now finite, but only to realise it falls back to considering how many numbers lie
between two real numbers. Once you have gotten this understanding of infinity squared away
you can implement it in proofs, those I will elaborate on later.

Next there are the finite subjects of mathematics, most notably discrete mathematics.
Here we have the integers and natural numbers, systems of whole numbers that when put into
sets become finite. Discrete is focused on using finite systems in order to use them in logic
analysis and proofs of countable sets. While again I may have intuitively understood the
statements of sets and subsets and ordered pairs, the difficulty came in trying to prove them. The
steps of trying to write a proof for any logically sound statement is where I struggled the most in
discrete. Often times there are many ways to write a proof, you directly solve your hypothesis,
you can prove its negation, prove one side then the other, it got very confusing. The key was
recognizing the proposition and from there decide what would make for an easier proof. this is
how it was for both subjects like discrete and real analysis. For me it was especially hard given
some learning disabilities.

When asked why do I like mathematics, its not a matter of like but pursue-ability. I have
dyslexia and with it comes limitations in reading and writing. So when I was younger I took
math because I could solve math problems and understood the algebra with little interference
from my disability. There are other subjects I would have rather pursued other than maths, but
subjects like history and philosophy requires reading and writing. However, as I got older the
math required more than just simple numerical answers. We had to write proofs, analyze
situations from long worded statistic problems, research texts, and write our theseus. I had to
make the decision to either give up or adapt and improve. So I developed, though it still can be a
struggle, mathematics has in some ways helped me develop. With such a resistance in my
learning experience I found I tended to look for motivation with in the subject of mathematics,
and that motivation was in applied mathematics.

Applied mathematics versus pure mathematics to me is a question of preferred pursuits.
Pure mathematics entails delving into speculative research that would solely be justifiable by
itself. generalizing theorems and trying to find unification to all of mathematics are the kinds of
pursuits one would find in pure mathematics. Applied mathematics involved subjects like
ordinary differential equations, and approximation analysis or real analysis. These are subjects
used in other fields of acidemia like physics and engineering. In a meta way of thinking, applied
mathematics is simply creatively using what has been established to make discoveries in other
subjects. In my modern geometry class it was part of class curriculum to analyse and discuss the
trends of discovery in mathematics. Pure math and applied math go hand in hand yet pure
mathematics is about finding new frontiers and unifying math as a whole, in essence its and
academic pursuit that has been slowing down in discoveries. Applied mathematics is about
facilitating the discoveries in other subjects.

An example would be differential equations, these are functions containing one or more
variables with its respective derivatives, these equations are what we see in physics. An example
would be the variables like acceleration, velocity, and position. one is always the derivative of
the other and often times whole functions can be solved by using the derivatives in some form.
However physics is not the only subject to utilize differential equations, when researching for my
senior thesis I discovered that elements of ecology utilized them as well. During my
development phase of modeling warring factions in a simulator, I researched the Lotka Volterra
predator-prey equations. The equations are a pair of non-linear differential equations that help us
understand what variables to pay attention to in order to predict the collapse of a predator-prey
ecosystem. Again, using derivatives and generalizing them we can determine whether factors
like birth rate or food intake effect the cycle of population rise and fall.

Demonstrating how algorithmic simulations are utilized by the computer graphics
industry to develop statistical tools for ecology, I then began to move into exploring game AI
simulation. In truth my AI are what developers in the industry of computer graphics would call,
Agents. An agent is basically an autonomous computer character or robot that follows a set
rules, codes, that dictates its decisions. The more advanced the agents, the more complex the
code. For my purposes of developing the warring factions, I had to first take differential
equations from the Lotka Volterra Model and translate them into lines of code for my agents to
follow. Since the Lotka Volterra Model was meant for predator and prey modeling, my first
animated simulation was for wolves and sheep. The simulation was suitable for my research, and
acted as a flexible cellular automata model. Though the agents would act independently, and so
appear random, the entirety of the overall outcome for population could be estimated with-in a
degree of certainty. We could predict weather species would have a balanced ecosystem with
each species having periods of growth and diminish and so repeat consistently. We could predict
if one would go extinct and so lead to the other going extinct. The next step was to make each
species evenly matched and predatory, so we could begin down the road of developing warring
factions. This resulted in creating a predator versus predator mathematical model which was no
longer a differential equation, but rather an expression that predicted which ever party had the
most initial agents would be the victorious side. Basically a subtraction problem with the
remainder being the victor, however if the agents are evenly matched that is where our cellular
automata model was the deciding factor as to who would win. The last phase was to create two
distinct agents, Orcs and Elves. The NetLogo program I wrote allowed me to adjust the stamina
of orcs against attacks and the speed of the vision distance of the elves. This gave the evenly
matched in number battles, more variable change as to who would win. This was an exciting
research program that I will no doubt return to to see what new modifications I can make.

The undergrad thesis project is no doubt going to be my most memorable time in the
Loras math program. It grew my interests in both programming and analytic work. I was able to
work with professors who helped me learn other fields of mathematics and develop new skills
for future careers. Indeed already I am concentrating my career search in data analysis and
statistical projection. While some would consider it clerical I hope that if I continue to create
code systems to advance agents someday I could work for game developers or media design. All
this is, my knowledge and skills, my passion for mathematics, Is thanks to my professors and my
alma mater, Loras College.