My journey to studying mathematics was not a straightforward path out of school. Whilst maths has always been a part of my study, I never considered making it the focus. This project and my studies have sparked a passion for research and developing a larger understanding of the broadness of this subject.
When I began my university journey, I didn’t intend to study mathematics, it was a subject I had always been interested in, although I did not see a future focussing purely on maths. I began my course majoring in Physics, a subject that I had enjoyed throughout my schooling and thought would provide a better opportunity for work and extra study. As I continued through my course, I was required to complete a variety of maths subjects, which further developed my interest in maths and the wide range of opportunities it can provide. Throughout the first two years of my course, I have completed a variety of different maths subjects, and through this developed a deeper appreciation of this field of study and research. The many different aspects of maths and the way they are interconnected sparked my interest to investigate further. When given the opportunity to explore maths research through the AMSI vacation research scholarship I was at first hesitant, unsure about what research in maths looked like. This opportunity has allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of the field of mathematics and just how wide the possibilities are. From diving into my own research for over 6 weeks, starting from just a basic understanding of the why irrational numbers are approximated by fractions, to finally being able to read papers and understand the basic concepts they propose I have developed a passion for maths and math research. Through attempting to write my own report and proofs for theorems I have developed a deeper understanding of the symbols and language used in research. Whilst my understanding of these concepts is still only rudimentary and the finer details of the papers I have been reading still escapes, the possibility to develop a fuller understanding of these concepts through study or further research in the future ignites my passion for mathematics.
Lauren White
La Trobe University
