Mapping Math: Forward

Why Am I Writing The Mapping Math Book?

Let me first explain why I am taking the time to write this book.

I have found that there is a big difference between the type of people that understand math, and the type of people that can teach math in a way that is easily understood by others. It seems like there are a lot more of the first type of people than there are the second type. This presents a serious problem for students of mathematics.

I struggled with math growing up. I know this was partly due to my own lack of ability, but I think it was also partly due to math teachers that had little sympathy for those to whom math did not just “make sense”. My introduction to algebra as a young teenager was a surprise, because it was the first type of math I had encountered that I didn't despise. Even so, I struggled with algebra as I had all the other types of math before it. I would consistently score lower in math than in any other subject on standardized tests.

I am telling you as the reader this small part of my own history because I want you to know that I understand what it is like to fight math and loose the brawl. I am finally winning this fight in my own life, and I now use math every single day. I hope this background will help me to be a better math teacher, and will make it easier for you to benefit from this book.

I wanted to write some instructions on the math used in mapping that could be understood by all types of people, even by those who found math difficult. I personally think that traditional math books are horrible creatures that should be forever banned from the classroom. (My two favorite math books are “Idiot's Guide To Calculus” and “Calculus for Dummies.) I have also found that there is not a great deal of material available about the math used by mapping professionals, and certainly none as freely available as I hope the content of this book will be. This frustration has been shared with me by other surveyors and GIS professionals. I hope this will fill what I see as a serious void in the material on math for the professional that works with spatial data or maps, whether that be a Land Surveyor or GIS Professional.

I found that I really enjoyed math and its ability to solve problems when I could see how it was practically applied in land surveying. That transition from “purely conceptual math” to math in its role as a practical tool made a big difference for me as a math student. I want to show others how math concepts are applied to the making of maps and spatial data. Perhaps others will come to love math as I have when they see how math can be used as a tool in their own work.

Math is not the enemy. The enemy is those that think math should be easy for all to grasp and understand.