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Finding a Mall Parking Spot Using Mathematics – Part II
If you read the previous article on this topic, then I imagine you were quite piqued by the nature of its contents. How we use mathematics to find a mall parking spot is not a typical thing you would hear people discussing at their Christmas parties. Yet I think anyone with a modicum of human interest would find this a most curious topic of conversation. The reaction I usually get is one of “Wow. How do you do that?”, or “You can really use mathematics to find a parking spot?”
As I mentioned in the first article, I was never content to get my degrees in mathematics and then not do anything with them other than to leverage job opportunities. I wanted to know that this newly found power that I studied feverishly to obtain could actually inure to my personal benefit: that I would be able to be an effective problem solver, and not just for those highly technical problems but also for more mundane ones such as the case at hand. Consequently, I am constantly probing, thinking, and searching for ways of solving everyday problems, or using mathematics to help optimize or streamline an otherwise mundane task. This is exactly how I stumbled upon the solution to the Mall Parking Spot Problem.
Essentially the solution to this question arises from two complementary mathematical disciplines: Probability and Statistics. Generally, one refers to these branches of mathematics as complementary because they are closely related and one needs to study and understand probability theory before one can endeavor to tackle statistical theory. These two disciplines aid in the solution to this problem.
Child Prodigies of the Modern Age
With easier access to education and the development of the internet, we have the information but do we have the knowledge? Most would say not. However, child prodigies have existed throughout history, with the most famous contributing to the arts such as Mozart and Picasso, but today it seems that those bestowed with the honorary label of ‘child genius’ are more known for their academic, scientific, and mathematical development. What follows is a quick exploration into the lives of a few of today’s prodigies.
One of the most famous recent prodigies is Michael Kearney, born in 1984 in Hawaii. His first notable traits of his advanced intelligence came when he learned to speak at just four culminating when he famously proclaimed to his paediatrician, ‘I have an ear infection in my left ear,’ two months later. Although being diagnosed with Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder he finished high school by the age of six, and received a graduate degree at 10 in anthropology. More recently, he appeared on a TV show, Who wants to be a millionaire? And won $25,000.
Kearney’s record of being the youngest postgraduate achiever was broken in 1999 by the Indian-born Tathagat Avatar Tulsi. Tulsi completed high school by age nine and by the age of 17 had written the influential paper entitled, ‘A New Algorithm for Fixed Point Quantum Search.’ He is now a senior research scientist at the Institute of Science in Bangalore, and claims to be originally inspired by Stephen Hawking’s, ‘A Brief History of Time,’ which he received as a present from his father when he was six.
Bachelor of Science in Mathematics
The complexity of today’s society demands intelligence from all members who wish to succeed. When it comes to the magnitude of success, I believe that the application of intellectual brilliance is important to thriving in life. With the existing conditions of our economy and our current culture along with the prospective economy and culture, a Bachelor of Science major in mathematics would give a young person more advantages than would any other degree. The reasons for achieving such a degree are strong and varied, giving an equation for success that is nearest to perfect.
Mathematics is a subject that, when applied correctly, can give an insight into the mechanisms that make an economy tick. This given advantage is significant because an understanding of the economy in which one is located can lead to monetary prosperity. Science based fields also tend to be very successful considering the speed at which society is increasing its knowledge and applications of this field. By obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree, one has been introduced to a selection of scientific fields which give the possessor of the degree a background that will allow him or her to be easily qualified for a variety of high-paying careers.
Although the arts are an integral part of today’s society, the benefits of achieving a degree in such a field of study is lesser than that of a Bachelor of Science in mathematics. The justification lies in the fact that most colleges require a diverse curriculum along with the various courses required for the desired major. However, the general education courses which are required for a Bachelor of Arts degree have a high concentration of classes in the humanities and the arts. This gives most college students an introduction into these fields, but the lack of attention to the sciences leaves majors of the humanities and the arts at a disadvantage in later life.
