A subject does not feel remote or 'alien' provided we learn something about how it started, how it evolved and who were the major players in the process. We may discover that the visionaries who started the new area did not have the ability to see how far it will grow. We may also discover that great mathematics made mistakes or made the wrong guesses. There may be stories of great inspiration accidentally given.
Take the episode of the challenge issued by the distinguished European mathematician Johann Bernoulli in the year 1696. The challenge was in the form of a problem:
Given two points A and B on a vertical wall, with B below but not vertically below A, what shape a wire connecting the two points should have in order that a bead sliding down it from A to B without friction, takes the least time???????
can you answer?!!....
Take the episode of the challenge issued by the distinguished European mathematician Johann Bernoulli in the year 1696. The challenge was in the form of a problem:
Given two points A and B on a vertical wall, with B below but not vertically below A, what shape a wire connecting the two points should have in order that a bead sliding down it from A to B without friction, takes the least time???????
can you answer?!!....
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