Any Mathematical Nerd's on WP?

Post Reply New Topic

If so , what do you think about these questions?

What are the human traits behind mathematics?
What is mathematical beauty?
What is the source and nature of mathematical truth?
What is the relationship between the abstract world of mathematics and the material universe?

or What's your favorite equation?

or What's your favorite quote pertinent to mathematics?

or What's your favorite Field?

I'm just not gonna answer any of those questions.

Good evening. I am new to this forum but have been diagnosed for over 5 years so I hope I am not being presumptious by replying.

I would say this: if by math you mean the patterns and relationships that exist between physical and imaginary elements within this dimension then I would say that math in that form is just a reflection of relationship and therefore observation. If by math you mean the human understanding of those relationships, then I would say that the method, model, and perception is entirely a human construct. I would propose examples as follows:

Math can be numbers (arithmatic), letter variables (algebra, calculus, differential equations), and it can be symbolic (discrete, combinatorics). The actual value is not really relevant (in that a number may be imaginary, or an equation can yield 2 separate values as in the case of certain intersections.) NTs assume that the value is the most important in that "accuracy" is everything but in fact what is at core is the relationship, ratio, etc. that results in a derived value.

There are examples of people "inventing" new mathematical processes. Calculus was co-developed independently by Newton and Leibnez. The concept of 0 as an independent number and not a placeholder wasn't until the 9th century. Can we reasonably assume that 0 or "nothing" didn't exist prior to the 9th Century in India or was nothing always part of the relationship?

Here is another example: differential and partial differential equations are based upon change and rates of change and implicitly assume progression of value change, i.e. progression of time. In human experience we assume past, present, and future in our memes. However there are 3 key points to consider: 1.) relativity assumes mathematically that time is relative, 2.) quantum mechanics mathematically assumes that for infinite number of futures intersecting with this present point in "time" that there by definition would be infinite number of "pasts" leading to this present intersections (else there couldn't really be 10 or 11 dimensions within M-Theory) and 3.) humans can only experience an perpetual present (as we cannot regress to the past or move forward to the future because every movement is a new but existent present.) Therefore mathematical measurements of change must assume perfect measurement even though our math can generate points 1 and 2. It is for these reasons that I consider "math" as a human construct representing a deeper, more meaningful reality.

Welkome to WP!

Mick

Wallis created an infinite product formula for pi, which might be (but isn't) written today as:
π = 2 ∏k=1,∞ 1+(4k2-1)-1

Here's my favorite theme song about mathematics in A Beautiful Mind:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWpwZf3jebw&feature=related[/youtube]

Hmm I like that Metanoia. Sounds interesting. I like the song from Beautiful Minds too. Every time I hear a piano part I can see myself playing it in my head. I think I should get a piano. =)

What are the human traits behind mathematics?

Rationality; intuition. All the senses, due to empirical application, but also pure thought, since it is the relation of ideas.

What is mathematical beauty?

Rigour. The ability to reduce incredibly complex processes to simple models. The models, and their complications, are beautiful.

What is the source and nature of mathematical truth?

If it is objective, then I doubt we can ascertain it within our current human form, though being human was always rather perverse to me. I suspect it is constructed in the sense that we use mathematics to analyse and conceptualise our experience.

What is the relationship between the abstract world of mathematics and the material universe?

Anything which can be mathematically modelled, I would like to think, exists in some objective form, somewhere.

What's your favorite equation?

Godel's incompleteness theorems.

Good evening.

First, Hope8, I have no idea if you can actually play piano however if it brings you some form of joy, purpose, accomplishment, (or the ability to make discordant harmonics that will bring you fame, fortune or irritation of others) then by all means please play the ivories. I can't say that I will necessarily enjoy your efforts, but then I am partially deaf from combat, and I basted myself in the 90's and 00's with techno-industrial music so I am by no means a reliable judge of culture.

I would have to admit that when I think about math, I don't really hear piano music or anything so beautiful. For me it is more of a combination of techno-industrial or machine music crossed with the experience of either diving and being immersed in deep water (much like the movie The Deep Blue) while I watch the patterns of bubbles stream past me rapidly. For me, I am drawn to patterns, logic, differential rates of change and probabilities. Once a mathematical relationship has engulfed me, I am completely absorbed and entwined into it almost to the point of a physiological experience. It is almost like I can feel the vibrations and electricity pulsing through my being.

Math for me is beyond thought and crosses into the sensory. It isn't so much as working through a problem as it is enveloping myself and mind into an intersection between dimensions. Math helps me to unfold the universe. It is difficult to communicate the nature and intensity of my experience, so and please forgive me if I sound absolutely batty. I thank God they actually pay me to do analytics even though my ideas are usually not understood no matter how much I simplify them. I guess some people are good at interpersonal relationships and others are good at mathematical relationships. It is the spice of life. LOL.

It`s amazing how much jargon and nomenclature we have that`s expressed in increasingly complicated forms in Mathematics Education.

We still have words for the reciprocal of cosine that have died out years ago.

We still have to view mathematics as a tool rather than an art form.

We still have to view mathematics as a rigid set of rules and regulations with complicated representations of rather simple meanings.

Apparently mathematics consists of a secret list of mystical symbols and rules for their manipulation.

Apparently mathematics is supposed to be boring.

Apparently mathematics is supposed to explain only what and not why.

Apparently mathematics is a ladder , where we have to have fundamentals first to learn anything , until we are entrusted with it.

Thier is no creativity in today`s curriculum , we can`t even ask simple questions we are just shunned with conventions.

Thier is even a lack of artistic criticism.

I think the general public believes that mathematics is static, rigid and set much like the motion of the earth around the sun: predictable.

From my perception of mathematicians (and the general scientific community both applied and theoretical), I think that there is a fear of being ostracized. The disciplines have become religions and anyone with a new perspective, a creative flair, or the audacity to question the dogmas of methodologies and tautologies over time is a heretic.

I think that is why I focused on quantitative analysis for some many years. In the end, if it works and is accurate that is all that mattered. My management team had no care about the theory, or why a black-scholes equation works, or even when Bayesian statistical models should be used and when classical statistical models should be used. They just wanted accuracy, increased profit or decreased risk. It was let to me to enjoy the beauty of it alone.

I agree with you. Education no longer teaches the rigor of mathematical thought. It teaches students how to type numbers into a calculator and regurgitate a value. I think it misses the point, but then that is my opinion.

My favorite mathematicians are Ranked , what they have in common is creativity and geometry.

1.Eudoxus
2.Poincare
3.Riemann
4.Desargues
5.Monge