This personal statement was part of this student’s successful application in Mathematics and Statistics to LSE, UCL, Queen Mary University of London, Birmingham University.
Uncertainty governs every decision I make. My interest in mathematics and statistics stems from a desire to rationalise this uncertainty, by using numerical methods such as probability, to quantify risk. This has proven vital to my understanding of A Level economics, where the use of calculus in price elasticity has provided insight into consumer rationale. Studying key economic phenomena such as inflation, has allowed me to contextualise statistical models widely used to explain the state of our economy. I have become engrossed in combining these fundamental disciplines, in order to understand real life problems.
An area of mathematics that interests me most are proofs. Combining different areas of mathematics to derive one coherent line of work is greatly satisfying. B.Clegg’s ‘A Brief History of Infinity’ contrasted my initial outlook on mathematics being based solely on objective truths. He compares a mathematician’s use of infinity to our use of a mobile phone, as we acknowledge its functionality without fully knowing how it works. The underlying ambiguity of more complex mathematical phenomena has prompted my curiosity to study more difficult mathematical concepts at university level.
Logical and empirical reasoning that form the basis of mathematics is reciprocated in economics. Comparable to applying a formula to a maths question, deriving economic solutions to a problem using different policies is a process I find intriguing. However, I haven’t found the simplicity of said ‘maths formula approach’ equally applicable to non-western economic issues, particularly in Nigeria. Viewing Nigeria through the lens of my father, who had fallen victim to indigence during the Biafran war, I perceived Nigeria’s current economy as a product of conflict and political unrest. This was juxtaposed by several articles about Nigeria’s flourishing oil industry. I was puzzled as to why the injection of exports fuelled by the country’s crude oil reserves hadn’t resulted in the same multiplier effect on national income previously taught at A Level. Watching E.Ojomo’s ‘The Poverty Paradox’ provided an answer to this, by arguing against the often propagated idea that poverty stems from lack of resources and can be solved by pumping capital goods into MEDCs. Instead, Ojomo stressed the importance of effective resource management, coupled with mimicking other successful development models which were based primarily on innovation. Exploring Nigeria’s developmental barriers has deepened my interest in studying ways local industries and businesses can innovate, and how this contributes to creating prosperity in impoverished nations.
Attending a statistical sciences taster lecture at UCL exposed me to uses of statistical modelling during COVID-19. Inspired by the role of the R-value in determining transmission rates, I analysed various statistical measures of poverty. I found that data sets on household income were used to form a poverty line, allowing governments to identify those in poverty and offer financial support. However, this model fails to reflect the cases of people whose incomes are just above the poverty line and are highly susceptible to slipping back into poverty. I disagree with the heavy reliance on statistical models, as the outstanding circumstances of the socio-economically disadvantaged are reduced to numerical outliers. In contrast to making political and economic decisions on statistics alone, statistics should be humanised with economic theory.
Tutoring GCSE Mathematics students has helped develop my communication skills. Working through problems with students emphasized the sheer joy I derive from joint problem solving. The students’ triumph after understanding new concepts is a feeling I hope to reciprocate when learning complex mathematical applications at university. A degree that explores interactions between mathematics and economics will give me the tools to understand and help mitigate global issues such as poverty.
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