Mathematics
hideMathematics 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 mathematics
What computer science can teach economics
Technology / Computer Sciences
Nov 09, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Computer scientists have spent decades developing techniques for answering a single question: How long does a given calculation take to perform? Constantinos Daskalakis, an assistant professor ...
P vs. NP -- The most notorious problem in theoretical computer science remains open
Technology / Computer Sciences
Oct 29, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (22) |
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In the 1995 Halloween episode of The Simpsons, Homer Simpson finds a portal to the mysterious Third Dimension behind a bookcase, and desperate to escape his in-laws, he plunges through. He finds himself wander ...
One tonne 'Baby' goes mobile
Oct 27, 2009 |
3.5 / 5 (2) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- It took a one-tonne computer the size of a room to run a simple mathematics program in 1948 - but now computer scientists have made it available on your mobile.
A trillion triangles: New computer methods reveal secrets of ancient math problem
Sep 22, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (20) |
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Mathematicians from North America, Europe, Australia, and South America have resolved the first one trillion cases of an ancient mathematics problem. The advance was made possible by a clever technique for ...
K-12 education should include engineering
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Sep 08, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
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The introduction of K-12 engineering education has the potential to improve student learning and achievement in science and mathematics, increase awareness about what engineers do and of engineering as a potential career, ...
New breakthrough in bubble research
Sep 02, 2009 |
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A researcher from the University of Bath has found a new approach to an old geometric problem of modelling the most efficient way of packing shapes to form a foam.
NYU physicists make room for oddballs
Aug 03, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Here's a question. How many gumballs of different sizes can fit in one of those containers at the mall so as to reward a well-spent quarter? It's hard to believe that most people never consider ...
Algebra adds value to mathematical biology education
Jul 30, 2009 |
5 / 5 (4) |
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As mathematics continues to become an increasingly important component in undergraduate biology programs, a more comprehensive understanding of the use of algebraic models is needed by the next generation of biologists to ...
Fuel cells, energy conversion and mathematics
Jul 24, 2009 |
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Concerns about dwindling fossil fuel resources, current levels of petroleum consumption, and growing pressure to shift to more sustainable energy sources are among the many factors prompting the transition from our current ...
Getting the most out of gemstones
Jun 25, 2009 |
3 / 5 (1) |
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Emeralds, rubies and the like are referred to as colored gemstones by experts. They sparkle and shine with varying intensity, depending on the cut. A new machine can achieve the best possible cut and extract ...
Anxiety's hidden cost
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Jun 23, 2009 |
5 / 5 (3) |
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The effect of anxiety on academic performance is not always obvious but new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council suggests that there may be hidden costs. The research found that anxious individuals ...
Students who get stuck look for computer malfunctions
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Jun 05, 2009 |
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1
When students working with educational software get stymied, they often try to find fault with the computer or the software, rather than look to their own mistakes, according to a new dissertation at the University of Gothenburg, ...
Using magic to learn about maths
Jun 03, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (3) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- An academic from Queen Mary, University of London has launched a series of videos featuring magic tricks that are conjured from a mathematical perspective.
Universities like women in sciences; women aren't so sure
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Jun 02, 2009 |
3 / 5 (3) |
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Women with advanced degrees in math, science and engineering are more likely than men to be chosen for faculty positions and promotions -- when they apply.
3M's science project: Scientists can't simply be hired, they must be created
May 15, 2009 |
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After donning a navy lab coat, Huava Xiong moves through a 3M Co. lab like an old pro as he cuts strips of pressure-sensitive adhesives for testing.
