Mathematics

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Mathematics is the science and study of quantity, structure, space, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns, formulate new conjectures, and establish truth by rigorous deduction from appropriately chosen axioms and definitions.

There is debate over whether mathematical objects such as numbers and points really exist or whether they are manmade. The mathematician Benjamin Peirce called mathematics "the science that draws necessary conclusions". Albert Einstein, on the other hand, stated that "as far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality."

Through the use of abstraction and logical reasoning, mathematics evolved from counting, calculation, measurement, and the systematic study of the shapes and motions of physical objects. Practical mathematics has been a human activity for as far back as written records go (see: History of Mathematics). Rigorous arguments first appeared in Greek mathematics, most notably in Euclid's Elements. Mathematics continued to develop, in fitful bursts, until the Renaissance, when mathematical innovations interacted with new scientific discoveries, leading to an acceleration in research that continues to the present day.

Today, mathematics is used throughout the world as an essential tool in many fields, including natural science, engineering, medicine, and the social sciences. Applied mathematics, the branch of mathematics concerned with application of mathematical knowledge to other fields, inspires and makes use of new mathematical discoveries and sometimes leads to the development of entirely new disciplines. Mathematicians also engage in pure mathematics, or mathematics for its own sake, without having any application in mind, although practical applications for what began as pure mathematics are often discovered later.

For more information about Mathematics, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

News tagged with math

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Inventor Demonstrates Humanoid Robot's Latest AI Abilities (w/ Video)

Technology / Computer Sciences

Aug 25, 2009 | 4.7 / 5 (31) | 26

(PhysOrg.com) -- In August 2007, Le Trung invented Aiko, a Yumecom, or "Dream Computer Robot." Although it took only a month and a half to build Aiko's exterior, the artificial intelligence software has been ...

UQ researchers break the law -- of physics

Physics / General Physics

Jul 06, 2009 | 4.4 / 5 (45) | 25

(PhysOrg.com) -- Two UQ Science researchers have proved two famous physical laws that have been widely used for the past 25 years do not always work.

Scientists harness logic of 'Sudoku' math puzzle to vastly enhance genome-sequencing capability

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

Jun 24, 2009 | 4.8 / 5 (6) | 1

A math-based game that has taken the world by storm with its ability to delight and puzzle may now be poised to revolutionize the fast-changing world of genome sequencing and the field of medical genetics, suggests a new ...

Kids with ADHD need to fidget, study says

Medicine & Health / Diseases

May 26, 2009 | 4 / 5 (11) | 10

If you've got a kid with ADHD, you've probably spent countless hours pleading with him to sit still. Well, stop it.

'One keypad per child' lets schoolchildren share screen to learn math (w/ Video)

Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets

10 hours ago | 2 / 5 (3) | 1

The slogan is "one laptop per child." But it will be a long time before that is true everywhere in the world. Meanwhile, a new device aims to make a situation that is common in poor areas - one computer shared ...

An animated penguin boosts kids' math scores

Other Sciences / Social Sciences

Oct 01, 2009 | 5 / 5 (5) | 1

California's hottest new math teacher is an animated penguin named JiJi. Yes, it's true. A mute, waddling, tuxedo-clad cartoon figure has been quietly taking over math programs dotting Silicon Valley, dramatically improving ...

Citizens in 34 countries show implicit bias linking males more than females with science

Other Sciences / Social Sciences

Jun 22, 2009 | 2.5 / 5 (4) | 0

thoughts that people may be unwilling to express or may not even know that they have - may have a powerful effect on gender equity in science and mathematics engagement and performance, according to a new study published ...

Traffic jams follow explosive pattern, says researcher (w/Video)

Technology / Computer Sciences

Jun 05, 2009 | 4 / 5 (3) | 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- Picture this next time you're stuck in traffic: Thousands of wildebeests loping across the Serengeti Plain when suddenly a few spooked animals turn the orderly migration into a sea of locked ...

Culture, not biology, underpins math gender gap

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Jun 01, 2009 | 3.5 / 5 (11) | 5

For more than a century, the notion that females are innately less capable than males at doing mathematics, especially at the highest levels, has persisted in even the loftiest circles.

Poor attention in kindergarten predicts lower high school test scores

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

May 26, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

As thousands of students nationwide prepare to leave high school, a UC Davis study appearing online today in the June issue of the medical journal Pediatrics shows a clear link between attention problems early in school — as ...

Bad jobs: Why they make some women bad moms

Other Sciences / Social Sciences

May 01, 2009 | 5 / 5 (4) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- The kind of job a woman has may be just as important as whether she works or not when it comes to the well-being of her child.

UH initiative will use 'Harry Potter' to conjure love for science

Other Sciences / Other

Apr 20, 2009 | 4 / 5 (1) | 0

Hoping that science will cast a spell on local middle and high school students, a University of Houston team is starting a program that will harness the magical draw of the Harry Potter series to make technical subjects resonate ...

It pays to compare: Comparison helps children grasp math concepts

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Apr 10, 2009 | 4.6 / 5 (5) | 0

Comparing different ways of solving math problems is a great way to help middle schoolers learn new math concepts, researchers from Vanderbilt and Harvard universities have found.

Lack of ability does not explain women's decisions to opt out of math-intensive science careers

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Mar 03, 2009 | 3 / 5 (3) | 3

Women don't choose careers in math-intensive fields, such as computer science, physics, technology, engineering, chemistry, and higher mathematics, because they want the flexibility to raise children, or because they prefer ...