30 Mar 2016

It is not common to have a civic leader of a youthful age undertake the task of writing a mathematical textbook boasting new discoveries in the world of mathematics. While many young people are busy indulging in entertainment activities, specially elected councillor for Francistown, Zazambi Tuelo is busy penning a mathematics textbook titled Universal Numeric System.

In an interview, the 29-year-old councillor noted that his mathematics textbook was all about the general system of which numbers were constructed and it also explains how numbers of different lengths affect the existence of other numbers longer than them.

“When I wrote this book, I realised that there are quite a number of uncovered formulas in which one can find population of numbers of the same length. I have discovered two new and rare formulas in which we can uncover different numbers such as multiples of three without actually doing all the normal counting that we were taught at primary and junior schools on multiple numbers calculation. The formulas and all my other discoveries are incorporated in my book,” he said proudly of his discovery, which he said, would help students catch on easily on the calculation of prime numbers and multiples. 

Through his new mathematics formulas, Tuelo claims one can calculate prime numbers or multiple numbers up to 1 000 or more without using the counting method.

“Personally I have been baffled by my discoveries and I would like to go down in history of mathematics discovery as being the man who discovered these formulas. It took me two years of solid research to write and complete this 200 paged book and I self-published it as I am still looking for a reputable educational publisher to publish the book,” he said.

Tuelo further said the book would be most suitable for junior secondary students all the way to tertiary students, arguing that he chose to begin it at junior level because from there it would assist a junior student excel in mathematics, all the way to tertiary level.

Asked why he chose to write a mathematics textbook instead of a fictional novel or any other genre of writing accustomed with young writers, Councillor Tuelo noted that he grew up as a great admirer of mathematics and he passed the subject well at school, leading to him choosing a mathematical related course, computing and its practice, where he graduated with a degree at Botho University.

“My role model in mathematics is John Forbes Nash, an American mathematician who made fundamental contributions to the game theory, differential geometry and the study of partial differential equations. Nash’s work has provided insight into the factors that govern chance and decision making inside complex systems found in daily life. ENDS