Matric pupil’s calculator app helps solve complex maths problems

Published Feb 27, 2021

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Reagan Squire

Cape Town – A Grade 12 pupil has created his own ‘’calculator’’ app that solves intricate maths problems.

Milnerton High School pupil Raphael de Sousa started the project during lockdown.

‘’I felt like I spent a large amount of time checking answers once I've done them. I realised that a computer could easily do it.

“And then I started expanding my coding knowledge and started building the algorithms,“ he said.

“Originally I thought I could design it for teachers to check their memos.

“Eventually I decided that I should make it for students to be able to check their answers.”

The application called Delta, is a maths, physics and chemistry calculator used to create memorandums to complex problems.

“I know that millions were struggling with a lack of contact education and that many needed help. I started building it to reach out to those people and maybe help them.

“Pursuing my passion and helping others are things I want to achieve, doing both through this project, meant I didn't worry about the hundreds of hours I put into doing it.

“So essentially it is a study tool that you can use to check answers as well as read our information sections in case you're stuck.

“So as the apps grow I'd like to get more information on it so it's more helpful to the users that struggle with the different sections.

“I'm also planning on adding a lot more sections to cover almost all sections we cover at school,’’ said De Sousa.

De Sousa’s close friend, Tiago Brazier, assisted him and is in charge of media.

“He helped me believe it will work and since then we have been in partnership to try and get the word out there.

“I coded the entire app while he helped spread the word and created all promotional videos, doing so really well.

“Big credit to him for putting this dream into reality and making it work really well,’’ said De Sousa.

The application has been downloaded from users across the world including users from the Czech Republic, Mexico, India, US, UAE.

When asked why his peers call him ‘’Elon junior’’ he said, “I look up to Elon Musk as he came from South Africa, became the richest man in the world and with this invested all his time and money into the growth of humankind and the advancement of science”.

“I also look up to a large range of different physicists. Einstein mostly as his sheer mind power changed the entire science world through basic thought experiments.’’

De Sousa has astronomical goals for himself and constantly aims at bettering the lives of those around him. He plans on doing this through his love of Mathematics.

“It’s is the language of the universe. It's the language of science.

“My main passion is physics and understanding the universe around us, and mathematics is the language that physicists use to understand the universe on a deeper level.”

He will be launching the application on IOS soon.

Weekend Argus

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