Mathematicians used computers to help plan and launch this space
shuttle.
Solving problems
Far, far above the blue and white globe of the Earth, a strange machine,
shaped much like a windmill, rushes out into the endless blackness of
space. It is a space probe, sent from Earth to seek information about
other planets. In a few months, the Earth will be only a bright point of
light, far behind it.
Before a space probe such as this is sent out from Earth to travel to
Mars, Venus, or another planet, many problems must be worked out.
A space vehicle must be launched at a certain speed to escape the pull
of gravity. The vehicle has to follow a path that will take it to where
another planet is going to be, not to where the planet was when the
vehicle was launched. All these complicated problems of weight, speed,
and direction are figured out by people who are mathematicians (math uh
muh TISH uhnz).
Many people use mathematics in their daily work. But mathematics is
the work of mathematicians.
Mathematicians worked out the complicated maze of wires and switches
that easily handle thousands of telephone calls at the same time. And
mathematicians put together much of the information that goes into
computers. These computers then quickly work out problems that would
take people months to solve.
Mathematicians are also teachers at colleges and universities. And some
mathematicians simply think about mathematics and new ways to use
numbers and shapes to solve problems.
