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BY OUR STUDENT CONTRIBUTORS
Nitya Nigam Mathematics is overwhelmingly perceived as the school subject which most accurately predicts intelligence. The general impression regarding maths is that people are either born good at it or they are not. This mentality regarding maths is harmful and counterproductive. When students feel that inherent talent is required to succeed at maths, it discourages them from pursuing the field if they don’t find themselves excelling immediately. This disillusions girls in particular, due to the false stereotype that girls and women cannot do well in STEM fields. If a girl is told at a young age that her gender means her mathematical capacity is limited, and is then told in school that an innate ability in the field is required for success, she will never be able to realise her full potential in areas that require mathematics. This effect can be observed throughout scientific and quantitative fields, and affects ethnic minorities as well as girls, leading to STEM areas being dominated by people representing only a small subset of perspectives.
Regardless of this being unfair to minorities (STEM degree holders tend to hold higher-paying jobs than non-STEM graduates, so a lack of diversity in STEM contributes to economic disparities), it is detrimental for scientific research. Having a wide range of perspectives on a research team increases productivity and sparks new ideas. For example, a 2010 study by MIT and CMU showed that teams with women tend to be more socially sensitive, which allows for a more fluid exchange of ideas. The results of increasing diversity of all kinds (racial, cultural and gender) in companies cannot be ignored: a 2018 study from the Boston Consulting Group showed that companies with more diverse management teams make 19% more revenue, due to increased innovation. Clearly, increasing diversity in STEM fields is more than worthwhile. Integral aims to make maths accessible and enjoyable - to show maths as the creative subject it is, rather than propagating the algorithmic way it is taught in many schools. We also want to disprove the belief that mathematical talent is entirely inherent. Positive reinforcement combined with curiosity and a work ethic can help push students to new mathematical heights, whereas discouragement and stereotyping hinders potential. Our team of writers is made up of high school students who are not only passionate about maths but also want to share that passion with others. Integral will be publishing articles about topics ranging from applications of maths in finance and medicine to recent developments in pure mathematics research, all aimed at students who are keen to learn more about maths but may not have had the opportunity to find resources that are both interesting and not too complex for their level of knowledge. We also encourage readers to contribute their own maths-related articles to the magazine. By providing insightful articles about various mathematical topics, and other engaging maths-related content, Integral hopes to make maths more accessible for those who may be intimidated by it, and spark curiosity in all STEM fields, which are heavily reliant on a foundational grasp of maths. We hope that our readers find Integral to not just be a valuable resource, but a way to connect with people internationally through a shared interest in mathematics. The online format of our magazine allows for discourse about its contents to traverse continents, and our problem of the week column provides a platform for students to discuss and share their solutions to challenging and intriguing maths problems. At its heart, Integral is about sharing a love for maths, and trying to spread that love as far as possible to make the world a better place. We hope we can achieve that.
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