#mathematics

#mathematics

Can Math Prove The Existence of God?Anyone can provide proof of anything as long as they believe in it. The idea of any uncertainty leaves us fearful or too curious. Mathematicians and philosophers have gone so far as to prove the existence of humans, so is it really surprising to know that they’ve also tried to determine if God is real?As to how they prove the existence of the omnipotent being, these people use different ways to enlighten others. One argues that just like the number 7, God is not some being that has come into existence. According to atheist biologist Jerry Coyne, “He is not some material being that has come into existence, he is like a number that has always existed, (and by the way nobody will deny this logic with the number, however when someone mentions God a problem occurs).” Other classic proofs used include the Augustinian Proof, used by St. Augustine of Hippo in the 4th century AD. The concept states that two kinds of things exist in the natural world, particulars, and universals. Particulars are the specific tangible things we know by our senses, such as trees, people, clothes, and more. Universals are the more abstract concepts that include subjects in academia (science, humanity, etc.). Essentially, through this concept, Augustine and many other scholars propose that the reality of universals exists in the Divine Mind, which is infinite and eternal. This can be associated with God as it points out some of its attributes such as eternity. For example, numbers are infinite. This means that whatever Mind holds them is also eternal and infinite, which can be connected to God. Image credit: Pixabay/Pexels#theories #mathematics #proofs #philosphy #God #AugustinianProof

Should Google and Netflix Algorithms Be Taught To Kids?One math genius thinks so. Meet Stefan Buijsman, a man who got his Ph.D. in mathematics at age 20. He suggests that educators teach kids mathematics by showing how it workswhen applied to real-world problems. Instead of studying random formulas and forcing younger students to memorize them so they can apply them to repetitive problems, Buijsman suggests that kids should learn from how it is applied in applications such as online search engines, navigation apps, and even the algorithms used in Netflix for suggesting what shows their users could watch. “Everyone enjoys saying how much they hated math in high school and how lucky they are that they’ve never had to use it since. The truth is that I also hated graphs and formulas in high school and as an undergraduate. I remember a night of [studying] formulas and graphs, and of my asking myself why we even needed it,” the scholar explains. While it seems too complex to handle for students in lower educational levels, Buijsman clarifies that only the basics will be covered. Additionally, he suggests that educators should explain what using a certain mathematic principle is supposed to be and why it was developed in the first place. “In statistics, for example, let’s let them solve formulas that will calculate the probability of violating the security of a WhatsApp message,” he further suggested. Somehow, while this idea posts some benefits, we are one of the few who are relieved to avoid this in schools. We’ll just stick to watching shows on Netflix, thank you very much!Image credit: cottonbro studio#mathematics #algorithms #applications #education #Netflix #Google 

Squaring the Circle: Mathematicians Have Finally Solved the Ancient Math Problem of Turning a Circle into a Square (and Back)To this day, scientists are still figuring out whether it is possible to square a circle. The original question was by Anaxagoras of Clazomenae in 450 BC, who tried to square the circle using only classical tools, namely a straight edge and a compass, while in prison.In 1882, German mathematician Ferdinand von Lindemann proved that squaring the circle was impossible using only classical tools. Despite this, the question of squaring the circle remained a topic of interest for mathematicians.Recently, three mathematicians posted a paper online. Their study showed how to square the circle (and back) by cutting the circle into about 10^200 pieces (yes, that many). Another group of researchers also did the same thing back in 2016, but the shapes from this new paper are said to be "simpler in shape and much easier for mathematicians to visualize."Oleg Pikhurko, one of the study authors, says that he already has ideas to simplify and reduce the number of pieces needed to square the circle to less than 20 pieces.(Image Credit: Quanta Magazine)#Mathematics #SquaringTheCircle #Geometry #GraphTheory

A Violent Hit to the Head in a Robbery Gone Wrong Turned a Futon Salesman into a Math GeniusJason Padgett's life only revolved around partying, drinking, and chasing girls. At that time, Padgett thought math was stupid. For him, it is not applicable in the real world. But everything changed on a Friday night, on September 13, 2002. That night, Padgett was robbed and beaten up by two men outside a karaoke bar, which resulted in a concussion and a bleeding kidney. Padgett's concussion, however, was not just a concussion. It was a sustained brain injury, which caused him to have OCD. But something else happened within Padgett: he saw things differently. He saw things in shapes, lines, and curves. He saw things mathematically.It is hypothesized that Padgett has synaesthesia.Learn more about Padgett's life over at BBC.(Image Credit: Jason Padgett)#Mathematics #Synaesthesia

Do Not Erase: Images of Mathematicians' Chalkboards by Jessica WynneThe works of photographer Jessica Wynne are currently in the Edwynn Houk Gallery in New York. The exhibition, called Do Not Erase, includes images of mathematicians’ chalkboards full of formulas.The photographs, at first glance, can be mistaken for the actual chalkboards themselves, provide a glimpse of how an academic mind works in the middle of brainstorming and discovery. According to the gallery’s press release, “Wynne’s blackboards illuminate the power of the whirling web of shapes, numbers, and calculations scribbled in the heat of discovery.” Through the artist’s lens, the complex calculations and mathematical concepts displayed on these boards in the form of scribbles, scrawls, or rough writing are linked to the timeless lineage of artistry and writing: cave paintings, hieroglyphics, and graffiti.Image credit: Jessica Wynne/Edwynn Houk Gallery#Photography #JessicaWynne #EdwynnHoukGallery #Blackboards #Mathematics

Is This Ancient Numerical Notation?The ancient origin of numbers is a subject not much explored by scientists. Evolutionary biologist Russell Gray remarks that the subject is “still a relatively vacant niche in scientific research.” But in 2018, Francesco d’Errico, an archaeologist at the University of Bordeaux, France, published a paper in which he hypothesizes that numerical notation may have began as early as 60,000 years ago, at the time of the Neanderthals. His idea was based on this hyena bone that has nine approximately parallel notches. His paper might have sparked interest among the scientific world. Today, scientists look for answers about the origin of numbers from different perspectives.Cognitive scientists, anthropologists and psychologists are looking at contemporary cultures to understand differences among existing number systems — defined as the symbols that a society uses for counting and manipulating numbers. Their hope is that clues buried in modern systems might illuminate details of their origins. Meanwhile, archaeologists have begun looking for evidence of ancient numerical notations, and evolutionary biologists with an interest in language are exploring the deep origins of number words. These studies have spurred researchers to formulate some of the first detailed hypotheses for the prehistoric development of number systems.Learn more about this intriguing study over at Nature.(Image Credit: F. d’Errico via Nature)#Neanderthal #Archaeology #Mathematics #OriginOfNumbers #Anthropology #CognitiveScience #EvolutionaryBiology

Doing Calculus IS a Superpower!In the X-Men comics, Professor X named his school the "Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters" but didn't exactly specify what kind of unique "gifts" he's talking about.Obviously, different X-men characters have different powers: Cyclops can shoot laser beams from his eyes. Wolverine has amazing healing powers. And Beast has ... well, he's blue and can do calculus!This Pudinawala Comics panel made us chuckle and then nod in complete agreement because doing calculus is a superpower!#math #mathematics #calculus #PudinawalaComics #XMen #superpower #comicsvia Geeks Are Sexy

Ancient Clay Tablet Showed that Applied Geometry was Used in Babylon 1,000 Years Before PythagorasAn ancient clay tablet that's been hiding in plain sight in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum in Turkey for over a century turned out to be the oldest example of applied geometry.The 3,700-year-old tablet known as Si.427 dated from the Old Babylonian period. "It’s the only known example of a cadastral document from the OB period, which is a plan used by surveyors to define land boundaries," said Daniel Mansfield of University of New South Wales in Australia. "In this case, it tells us legal and geometric details about a field that’s split after some of it was sold off," he added.The tablet uses number sets known as Pythagorean triplesto make accurate  right angles, but it was made 1,000 years before the Greek philosopher Pythagoras developed the geometric principles now known as the Pythagorean theorem.Image: University of New South Wales#math #mathematics #Babylon #claytablet #appliedgeometry #geometry #PythagoreanTriples #PythagoreanTheorem #landsurveyor