How does mathematics prove that God exists? According to the American Heritage Student Dictionary, mathematics can be defined as, “The study of the measurement, relationships, and properties of quantities and sets, using numbers and symbols. Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and calculus are branches of mathematics.” Wikipedia quotes Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), “The universe cannot be read until we have learned the language and become familiar with the characters in which it is written.” We know that mathematics is used in many fields including business, finance, natural science, engineering, medicine, and social sciences.
School children learn basic arithmetic that includes addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It is quite clear that school children complete these arithmetic calculations with specific steps to reach logical answers. Multiplication and division problems also have determined or calculated results. Many formulas are used by people to describe important relationships such as one in which “d” stands for distance, “r” stands for rate, and “t” stands for time. The basic formula is d = r * t, which means the distance equals the rate times time. One can merely convert the formula mathematically to describe other relationships mathematically. It is possible to calculate the rate by converting the formula to r = d/t.
Another branch of mathematics is algebra. According to Wikipedia, algebra is “the study of mathematical symbols and the rules for manipulating these symbols.” Algebra is generally considered to be essential to study more deeply in mathematics, science, or engineering. it also has applications in medicine and economics. Students use letters to stand for numbers; for example, they find solutions to various mathematical problems in which they need to determine an unknown quantity. The point I make is that however complex the applications may be, there are organized rules and procedures when using algebra.
Geometry is another branch of mathematics that deals with the study of shape through studying angle properties, postulates, and theorems. A postulate is a proposition that has not been proven to be true, but it is considered to be true for the purpose of mathematical reasoning. Theorems are statements that have been proven to be true. Another concept that is used in geometry is the idea that angles are congruent if they are measured in degrees and are equal. Congruent angles do not have to point in the same direction.
Calculus, another branch of mathematics, has two main areas of application. One is differential calculus that focuses on rates of change and slopes of curves, and the other is integral calculus that focuses on the accumulation of quantities and the areas under and between curves. Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz are generally credited with developing modern calculus in the 17th century. Today calculus is used in science, engineering, business, and economics. Studying calculus is a basic step to learning more advanced courses in mathematics.
Mathematics is so organized and complex in all its branches, but it did not develop by accident or by random. The only way it makes sense for mathematics to be created is by an intelligent being. Mathematics is clear evidence of the existence of God. There are too many rules and procedures for it to be developed by accident or by random even over billions of years. It takes a high amount of intelligence to think out or develop all these different branches of mathematics.
If you would like to comment on these thoughts, please feel free to offer your thoughts at garylindberg85@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you. We all grow by sharing our thoughts and reasoning. What do you think?
Gary R. Lindberg 