AESTHETIC VALUE OF TEACHING MATHEMATICS

Agnes .P. Varghese

Mount Carmel College of Teacher Education for Women, Kottayam

ABSTRACT
Mathematics makes our life orderly and prevent chaos. Learning of mathematics results in
the development of a number of fruitful values in the students. Value oriented sense of
mathematics can help engage students at a more personal, humanistic level, thus making
their experiences more meaningful. Nurturing an aesthetic appreciation will make them see
the beauty of maths in the things around them. By deliberate efforts and planning can make
it possible for the students to realize the aesthetic beauty of mathematics. Since aesthetic
quality is an aspect of all activity, perception and intelligent thought, it will help students
to discover new ways of looking at things. This article deals with the aesthetic value of
teaching mathematics and how it enhances student’s passion towards mathematics
learning.
Key Term : Aesthetic Value

INTRODUCTION
“If people do not believe that mathematics is simple, it is only because they do not realize
how complicated life is”. Mathematics has long held an important place in the curriculum
and its values are generally recognised, it is imperative that every teacher of mathematics
makes the function of his subject in the curriculum clear to himself and that he keeps it
constantly in his mind as he plans his teaching process. A good teacher should know not
merely what to teach, and how to teach, but why he teaches. It is not only the duty of the
teacher to know why his subject is a part of the curriculum, but it is the privilege of the pupil
to consider the same question. Even parents of the pupils are also entitled to know the
purpose and values of teaching a subject. Lim and Ernest propose that there are at least six
categories of values in mathematics education that can be found manifest in mathematics
classroom. The six categories could manifest in the following ways:
- Values that are manifested in goals and objectives of mathematics education.
Example : Logical, Rational.
- Values that are inherent in mathematics as a subject or discipline of study.
Example : Objective, Open, Mysterious, Control and Progress.
- Values that underpin a mathematics teacher’s decision making and philosophy of
teaching such a preferences of criteria for making decisions during mathematics
teaching.
- Values that influence teachers and students behaviour and attitudes towards
mathematics, such as attributes or qualities of a successful mathematics learner.
Example : Working systematic.
- Values that are hidden behind unwritten rules of curriculum such as honesty,
Co-operation etc.
 The important values of learning mathematics are Practical or Utilitarian value,
Disciplinary value, Vocational value and Aesthetic value.

AESTHETIC VALUE
Those who did not get proper opportunities to study mathematics have developed a wrong
notion in their minds that mathematics is a dry and uninteresting subject. Mathematics plays
a considerable role in the development of various arts. For the lover of mathematics, there is
all beauty, art, music and fitness in the subject. It was the reason why Pythagoras sacrificed
hundred oxen to the Goddess for celebrating his discovery of the theorem that goes by his
name. I the same way, Archimedes had also forgotten his nakedness after discovering his
principle. Just imagine the feeling of ownership and self-confidence when one gets success
after a long struggle in mathematics problems. He finds a huge treasure of pleasure
especially when the answer tallies with the answer given in the book, every student feels
maximum satisfaction and derives the greatest pleasure.
There is no exaggeration in saying that Mathematics is the creator as well as the
nourisher and saviour of all arts. What we enjoy in the arts like drawing, painting,
architecture, music or dance etc. has something mathematical about it. Mathematical
regularity, symmetry, order and arrangement plays a leading part in beautifying and
organising the work of these arts. Even the poetry is not enjoyable without mathematics.
Music becomes sweet due to the mathematical permutation and combination of the seven
‘swaras’. Music is nothing but the mathematically organised sound. Musical instruments are
constructed based on musical scale. All the musical instruments like Harmonium, Drum,
Tabla, Flute, Guitar etc. are played on the set of rules of mathematics. Therefore, Leibnitz is
right when he says, “Music is the hidden arithmetical exercise of a mind unconscious that it
is calculating”.
Dancing also involves mathematical setting as the precision and timing of the
movements provides beauty to the art. The steps of dance are taken in tune with music and
rhythm. Moreover, the secret of beauty of a garden, an ornament, a garment, a house etc. lies
in the hidden mathematical touch. In brief we can say that secret of beauty of anything
depends on maintenance of proportion, balance, arrangement, symmetry, order, regularity
etc. The mathematical forms and shapes with proper rearrangement gives beauty to any
decoration.
Mathematics does not only give pleasure through its application to various arts as
described above, it also entertain us with its own riddles, games and puzzles. It can be
observed through the following examples.
1. MAGIC SQUARE:
16 3 2 13
In magic square one can derive pleasure by getting an equal sum
every time after adding horizontally, vertically or diagonally. This 5 10 11 8
can be ascertained through this magic square. 9 6 7 12
4 15 14 1
2. IN DANCE :
Mathematics can be taught using dance. Within the dancers body he or she can create
shapes, angles and lines which contributes to the effect of the dance. Geometry is perhaps the
most apparent subfield of mathematics present in dance. With their arms and legs they form
simple shapes such as circles, triangles as well as more complex shapes. In dancing one take
care of mathematics in taking steps and responding to the tunes.

3. IN THE FIELD OF ARCHITECTURE :

Math has various roles in architecture. Aesthetic consideration in architecture includes
line,shape,size, texture, colour, balance, unity, movement etc.In maths, geometry has a
crucial part for designing. Architects uses geometry to define the spatial form of the
buildings.

4. IN NUMBER PATTERNS :
Numbers can do more than just help us count,they can help us discover beautiful patterns.
These patterns contain some form of sequencing, and they are known for their beauty and at
times brought up as mathematical recreation.

5. SYMMETRY:
Symmetry is a fundamental part of geometry, nature and shapes. It creates patterns that helps
us organize our world conceptually. Symmetry in everyday language refer to a sense of
harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance.
6. GOLDEN RATIO:
The golden ratio is a geometric proportion that has been theorized to be the most
aesthetically pleasing to the eye and has been the root of countless mysteries over the
centuries. It provides a wonderful example of an attempt to mingle mathematics with arts
and nature.
SOME MORE EXAMPLES :
Aesthetic beauty of mathematics can be seen in origami-the art of paper folding, Fibonacci
sequence, Garden, Flowers, Buildings, Paintings etc.

CONCLUSION
Values are the guiding principles governing the life style of the members of a society, which
are conducive for the all-round development. To be more precise, values reflect one’s
personal attitudes. Education is designed in such a way as to create in man value system.
Values are considered as the navigating stars that provides proper direction to persons. Every
subject in the curriculum has its own value system that makes a student better person.
Mathematics is no exception to this approved rule. We learn mathematics because we know
its value. The main value of learning mathematics is to amour the learner with such
knowledge which will help him to become a useful and efficient citizen of the society. It is
tempting, for one who takes pleasure in and values the beauty of certain mathematical
entities, to view aesthetic appreciation as goal in and of itself. Take into an educational
context, the temptation can turn into a conviction that students should be able to take
pleasure in and value the ‘beauty’. Aesthetic values are those relate to the appearance of an
object and the emotions that object causes in those who contemplates it.
According to Poincare, “”mathematics has a triple end. It is to furnish an instrument for
the study of nature. But that is not all. It has a philosophic end, and I dare say, it have an
aesthetic end... Those skilled in mathematics find in it pleasures akin to those which painting
and music give. When mathematics is properly and concretely presented, the student’s
mental emotion will be that of enjoyment of beauty. This emotional set up helps the students
to enjoy and appreciate the beauty found in nature or in art and architecture, music and
poetry or any creative field. Students can find pleasure and excitement in any piece of
creative work. Only a resourceful teacher of mathematics with his deliberate efforts and
planning makes it possible for the students to attain this value.

REFERENCES
 Teaching of mathematics - Dr. Anice James
 Teaching of mathematics - S. K. Mangal
 https://aesthetics-in-mathematics.weebly.com
 https://en.m.wikipedia.org