Mysteries of the Mathematical Formula

The secret to mathematical formulas is that they're incredibly formulaic, in the simple sense that you shouldn't even have to think very hard in order to use it. Just understand what the formula does, and plug in the numbers. The formula is an ancient computer program meant to solve a single problem. You just need to supply it with data.

It's a tool invented by people who were essentially wizards, ahem, I mean programmers, like Isaac Newton, so they certainly aren't always easily understood. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't welcome the challenge. Facing off against people like Isaac Newton or the glorious philosopher Pythagoras and using their mathematical constructs enables you to enter their level.

However, you cannot truly rise to that tier of advanced mathematical thought so easily. Merely using a formula is not the same as inventing or discovering a new one. Can it be done? Could I do it?

I'll have to ponder this.