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.
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News tagged with mathematics
P vs. NP -- The most notorious problem in theoretical computer science remains open
Technology / Computer Sciences
Oct 29, 2009 |
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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 ...
A trillion triangles: New computer methods reveal secrets of ancient math problem
Sep 22, 2009 |
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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 ...
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.
A new kind of counting: Scientists develop computer algorithm to solve previously unsolvable counting problems
Feb 11, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- How many different sudokus are there? How many different ways are there to color in the countries on a map? And how do atoms behave in a solid? Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for ...
In many fungi, reproductive spores are remarkably aerodynamic
Dec 23, 2008 |
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The reproductive spores of many species of fungi have evolved remarkably drag-minimizing shapes, according to new research by mycologists and applied mathematicians at Harvard University.
Active hearing process in mosquitoes
Nov 20, 2009 |
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A mathematical model has explained some of the remarkable features of mosquito hearing. In particular, the male can hear the faintest beats of the female's wings and yet is not deafened by loud noises.
K-12 education should include engineering
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Sep 08, 2009 |
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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, ...
NYU physicists make room for oddballs
Aug 03, 2009 |
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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 |
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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 ...
Using magic to learn about maths
Jun 03, 2009 |
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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 |
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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.
Indian schools to benefit from new computer chips
Mar 10, 2009 |
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An educational initiative between Rice University computer scientists and Indian educators will enable schools in rural India to be some of the first to benefit from Rice's revolutionary, low-energy computer chips.
What the Romans learnt from Greek mathematics
Mar 01, 2009 |
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Greek mathematics is considered one of the great intellectual achievements of antiquity. It has been decisive to the academic and cultural development of Western civilisation. The three Roman authors Varro, Cicero and Vitruvius ...
Gestures lend a hand in learning mathematics
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Feb 24, 2009 |
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Gesturing helps students develop new ways of understanding mathematics, according to research at the University of Chicago.
Proof by computer: Harnessing the power of computers to verify mathematical proofs
Nov 06, 2008 |
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New computer tools have the potential to revolutionize the practice of mathematics by providing far more-reliable proofs of mathematical results than have ever been possible in the history of humankind. These computer tools, ...
