Mathematics as Creative Art
P.K. Halmos waxes poetic about mathematics, claiming that not only does mathematics present practical value but also that "mathematics is an art" (p. 379). Envisioning mathematics as art affirms the creative potential of math and acknowledges the myriad ways math becomes manifest in everyday life. What Halmos refers to as "mathophysics" includes the applied principles of "mathology." Moreover, Halmos claims that "mathematics is very much alive today," a statement as true in 1968 when Halmos wrote "Mathematics as a Creative Art" as it is in 2006 (p. 380).
As a math teacher married to a painter, I especially relate to Halmos' comparison of the role of the mathematician to the role of the visual artist. The mathematician's role, like that of the painter, is varied and flexible. Both the mathematician and the painter interpret the world but just as the painter is not "a camera," neither is the mathematician "an engineer,' (p. 388). At the same time, mathematics and painting both serve concrete functions, and just as a painter can render reality with as much splendor and color as a photograph so too can a mathematician convey theorems through brilliant engineering and design projects. if, as Halmos suggests, math is a creative art then math must also be the handmaid of science.
Describing mathematics as a creative art helps students of math better understand the true roles of the mathematician. Numbers, while in many ways central to the art of math, do not comprise the whole lexicon of mathology. Mathematics does stem from "sheer pure intellectual curiosity," enabling students to perceive the world through new eyes (p. 379). Teaching mathematics can therefore be like teaching art. Some pupils will exhibit innate, almost supernatural talents and abilities and others struggle with the language and media unique to each subject.
Because mathematics integrates seamlessly with daily life, however, teachers can easily point out the ways mathematics underlies reality. Teaching mathematics from a multifaceted and creative perspective can enhance student learning, retention, and interest in one of the most dynamic subjects in education.
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