First Blog

  Abraham Lincoln, if truth be known, was not a religious man, but he did understand prayer. Partly, he viewed prayer as deep introspection, without the external pressures of life, seeking wisdom and calmness to carry on. In managing a deadly war, Lincoln needed internal guideposts to carry on. Many personalize this through a Divine spirit, and this helps with understanding, gives reverence, and connects to others. It helps cut through the impossible to possibility. Anyway, even the most devout atheist needs prayer, if only to give reverence to life, to elevate life above a chemical jungle of automatic process. Prayer has great merit and should be practiced by all.

Many of our presidents were trained in or used math at some point in their careers. An interesting note is that when someone has a productive disposition toward math, i.e. sees the value of and confidence in using mathematics to resolve problems they will use it to resolve many problems, not apparently related to math. It becomes a way of thinking. In this short note we look at some of the US presidents so disposed. Mathematical training was of course an important part of the curriculum as taught to many of our earlier presidents. They were schooled in algebra and geometry. Calculus is another matter. Let's look at some of them. George Washington George Washington (1732-1799) was early in his career a surveyor. The mathematics of surveying includes foremost the techniques of planar measurement. These include the right triangle, oblique angles and triangles, azimuth, angles, bearing, bearing intersections, distance intersections, coordinate geometry, law of sines

Paths to Greatness Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, two of our greatest politicians and leaders, share many qualities, though were vastly different in personality, temperament, and background. What makes one great seem to have quite a number of osculations, while others aspects seem relatively unimportant. We look at only a few. Touch Points. Both were surveyors in their younger days. This illustrates a considerable facility with basic math. Both were presidents, often ranked #1 and #2 for their impact and excellence. Both prosecuted long and costly wars for the higher social goals of political and social liberation. Both took terrific risks to achieve their goals, Washington as a battlefield commander; Lincoln as a commander in chief. Both wars are landmarks of American history. Both dealt successfully with conspiring subordinates seeking power, militarily and politically. Both understood fully the importance of the political nature of war as the sister of its acknowl