By Ryan
Originally written summer / early fall 2024
“What do you want to study in college?”
For years, my answer to that question was vague but simple: “Whatever helps me understand and tackle big problems.” If prompted for more, I would add, “and feel fulfilled along the way.” It was an easy question to put off, college a lifetime away. But time doesn’t heed my perceptions (or maybe the other way around), and as college quickly approaches, I’ve had to get specific about how my experience at Duke will actually equip me to fulfill my promise and tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues.
Having recently graduated high school, my gap year staring me in the eyes, I’ve been diving deep into this question, asking myself:
- Which skills and perspectives will best help me achieve my life and professional goals?
- What pathways offer the broadest opportunities to understand systems and grapple with the large-scale problems they create?
- How can I best leverage and extend my natural thinking patterns?
The more I explore, the more I’m drawn to an unexpected trio: math, computer science, and philosophy.
The intersection of these fields are a place where logic meets creativity, and complex problems offer opportunities for new, innovative solutions. Math offers a fundamental, powerful and unique way of understanding the world. Philosophy cultivates a deeper understanding of myself and my role in the world, while developing my critical thinking and debating skills. Computer science provides dynamic methods for applying mathematical and philosophical concepts to create scalable solutions to real world challenges. I believe the overlap of these disciplines create a unique skill set and perspective that bridges abstract thinking and intentional, practical problem-solving, which is crucial for understanding complex systems in these fields and beyond. I am confident that this combination is crucial to gaining multifaceted perspectives and to contribute meaningfully to the world.
Recently, I read Douglas Hofstadter’s I Am a Strange Loop, in which consciousness is defined as a pattern arising from complex, self-reflective patterns in the brain. After I finished it, I read it again. What struck me wasn’t just the fascinating conclusion, but how we got there: Hofstadter seamlessly blended math and philosophy in a way I’ve never seen before. What starts out as a discussion of the ethics of vegetarianism and the author’s experience with it turns into an explanation of Gödel’s incompleteness theorem, and it makes perfect sense in context.
For most of my life, I thought of math and philosophy as separate fields: math’s technical, logical rigor seemed fundamentally opposed to philosophy’s deeply self-reflective deliberation. Hofstadter’s work illuminated their powerful overlap. Mathematical ideas can apply to how we view ourselves and our place in the world, and, vice versa, philosophical ones can apply to how we use logic.
I am a Strange Loop is just one of a series of books I’ve read tying into the fundamentals of math and the advent of the computer. Alan Turing, John von Neumann, Claude Shannon – through each of these pioneers, I have started to understand the power inherent in the combination of fields I once thought separate.
Mathematical ideas can reshape how we view ourselves and our place in the world, and philosophical concepts can transform how we approach problem understanding through logic and computation. Through the work of these geniuses and many more, computer science itself was formed from the philosophy of logic intersecting with mathematics.
In a way, these fields are actually natural extensions of the other: each one tasks itself with uncovering how the world works at a fundamental level. I believe that the extension of this intersection offers me a robust foundation for understanding systems and their interrelationships which with hard work, luck and mentorship will allow me to contribute meaningfully in today’s world.
When I picture my future self, I want to see someone who is challenged intellectually, working alongside a wide community of brilliant, driven individuals, solving problems that matter, making a positive impact in my life and empowering those in my life, and striving for stability as a means to explore varied interests and create a fulfilling career. In essence, I want to deeply understand problems and myself, while having the critical skills to apply that knowledge for maximum positive impact.
In addition to a career in the fields of mathematics, computer science, and philosophy, I am curious about how this integrated perspective could apply to the field of finance. While I’m open to many career paths, finance stands out as an intriguing application of the math, philosophy and computer science skills and experience I develop as an undergraduate. But why?
- Global Reach: Finance is deeply intertwined every sector and financial products can be an incredibly valuable tool in the process of creating change (i.e. Grameen Bank using microfinancing to help people out of poverty).
- Analytical Application: Math and computer science skills are increasingly prized in the industry, especially at the intersection of finance and technology. Concurrently, finance and technology are both critical lenses through which to see systemic challenges and find the leverage points that have the ability to scale access to a broad range of resources globally.
- Problem-Solving Potential: Financing is an important aspect of any impact project, and learning about how and why it is applied or not would undeniably help me empower myself and those around me to help achieve our goals.
- Personal Connection: I grew up with finance integrated into my family, both as a profession for family members and as the profession of many of the adults and family friends I know. Their unique insights and access to a diverse network of smart,thoughtful people has been incredibly impactful to me.
I know that the subjects I’m pursuing have broad applicability in fields beyond finance — that’s why I am pursuing them. The tech sector is just as fruitful. Academia offers fulfillment of the more abstract, intellectual type and the ability to shape the next generation of changemakers. Finance is currently just one potential pathway of interest.
I don’t know what the future holds, but right now, taking my skills in computer science, and algorithmic and philosophical thinking and applying it to finance-related challenges seems like a ready-made pathway to making an impact.
While math, computer science, and philosophy form my core focus, I’m also drawn to social sciences like economics and psychology because these fields both build off of many of the ideas at the core of math and philosophy and offer:
- Broader perspectives that complement analytical rigor
- Understanding of human contexts behind data
- Insights into behavior and decision-making
At Duke, I’m excited to explore these subjects as interconnected threads in a larger global narrative both inside and outside of the classroom through connections with mentors, internships, and hopefully some international studies. I can’t wait to connect with intellectually curious peers and push the boundaries of my thinking and skills. The abstract nature of math, the broad applicability of computer science, and the deep questions philosophers grapple with all offer endless possibilities for exploration and innovation.
Above all else, I am open to new ideas. I have been interested in other fields in the past, and will probably be interested in other fields in the future.
This post is an exercise in writing my ideas down to look back upon later, to chart my journey along the way. Over the rest of my gap year and early college career, I will continue to seek out people and experiences that will allow me to interrogate these beliefs with the goal of continuing to grow and shape my thinking.
Ultimately, mastering this combination of fields will empower me to:
- Achieve intellectual and meaningful success and, as a result, take the risks that come with the ambition of making meaningful contribution to the world
- Pursue a fulfilling career with people I care about and the freedom to explore systems from around the world
- Tackle complex global issues with a unique, multidisciplinary approach
I can’t wait to see where this journey will take me!
