Mathematicians talking about Mathematicsmath.hawaii.edu › ~mmanes › Talks › MathBeauty.pdf ·...

Mathematicians talking about Mathematics

To think deeply of simple things. (A. E. Ross)

It is impossible to be a mathematician without being apoet in the soul. . . The poet has only to perceive thatwhich others do not perceive, to look deeper thanothers look. And the mathematician must do the samething. (Sonya Kovalevskaya)

Music is the pleasure the human soul experiencesfrom counting without being aware that it is counting.(Gottfried Leibniz)

The moving power of mathematical invention is notreasoning but imagination. (A. DeMorgan)

I do not know what I may appear to the world; but tomyself I seem to have been only like a boy playing onthe seashore and diverting myself in now and thenfinding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell thanordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay allundiscovered before me. (Sir Isaac Newton)

Geometry is a magic that works. (R. Thom)

A scientist worthy of the name, above all amathematician, experiences in his work the sameimpression as an artist; his pleasure is as great and ofthe same nature. (Henri Poincaré)

Other people talking about Mathematics

Beware the mathematician and others who make falseprophecies. The danger already exists that themathematicians have made a pact with the Devil todarken the spirit and confine Man within the bonds ofHell. (St. Augstine)

Mathematicians are like Frenchmen: whatever you sayto them they translate into their own language andforthwith it is something entirely different. (Goethe)

“What’s one and one and one and one and one andone and one and one and one and one?” “I don’tknow,” said Alice, “I lost count.” “She can’t do addition,”said the Red Queen (Lewis Carroll)

Math class is tough! (Barbie)

Why learn math?

Appeared in “Facebook Questions”:Why do we need to learn math? When are we going to need itafter high school?

Why learn math?

Appeared in “Facebook Questions”:

Why do we need to learn math? When are we going to need itafter high school?

Why learn math?

Appeared in “Facebook Questions”:Why do we need to learn math? When are we going to need itafter high school?

Why learn math?

Tomas McIntee of Appalachian State University:

1 Finance. Understanding how exponential functions work iscritical to anyone who is going to carry a debt or aninvestment. Most people will do both, so you’ll want to beable to understand how exponential functions work and atleast how to work through things with the aid of acalculator.

Why learn math?

1 Finance.

Understanding how exponential functions work iscritical to anyone who is going to carry a debt or aninvestment. Most people will do both, so you’ll want to beable to understand how exponential functions work and atleast how to work through things with the aid of acalculator.

Why learn math?

1 Finance. Understanding how exponential functions work iscritical to anyone who is going to carry a debt or aninvestment. Most people will do both, so you’ll want to beable to understand how exponential functions work and atleast how to work through things with the aid of acalculator.

Why learn math?

2 Logistics.

Knowing your arithmetic will help you not getshortchanged, understand what’s a good deal and not, tipsocially appropriate amounts, work through your taxes, etcetera. Money is all about numbers. So if you plan onactually using money, and using it efficiently, know yourarithmetic. Arithmetic is also important in cooking and allkinds of planning. A calculator can handle much of it foryou, but if you don’t understand arithmetic very well, youwon’t realize when you’ve made a mistake by punching thewrong button of the calculator.

Why learn math?

2 Logistics. Knowing your arithmetic will help you not getshortchanged, understand what’s a good deal and not, tipsocially appropriate amounts, work through your taxes, etcetera. Money is all about numbers. So if you plan onactually using money, and using it efficiently, know yourarithmetic. Arithmetic is also important in cooking and allkinds of planning. A calculator can handle much of it foryou, but if you don’t understand arithmetic very well, youwon’t realize when you’ve made a mistake by punching thewrong button of the calculator.

Why learn math?

3 Everyday engineering.

Geometry tells you everythingabout how things are shaped. If you plan on building orrenovating anything, or figuring out what will fit in a givenroom, know your geometry.

Why learn math?

3 Everyday engineering. Geometry tells you everythingabout how things are shaped. If you plan on building orrenovating anything, or figuring out what will fit in a givenroom, know your geometry.

Why learn math?

4 Gambling.

Some of us gamble with money in Vegas or onWall Street; others gamble with life and limb, or withhouses and cars. Whether you’re weighing the side effectsof a medical treatment or buying beachfront property,understanding how probability works is important tomaking informed decisions involving risk.

Why learn math?

4 Gambling. Some of us gamble with money in Vegas or onWall Street; others gamble with life and limb, or withhouses and cars. Whether you’re weighing the side effectsof a medical treatment or buying beachfront property,understanding how probability works is important tomaking informed decisions involving risk.

Why learn math?

5 Science.

Understanding how statistical significanceworks is a major boon to understanding how the worldworks, and especially how science works. In a democraticsociety, your voice is helping set policy - and if you don’tunderstand science, you don’t understand reality.

Why learn math?

5 Science. Understanding how statistical significanceworks is a major boon to understanding how the worldworks, and especially how science works. In a democraticsociety, your voice is helping set policy - and if you don’tunderstand science, you don’t understand reality.

Why learn math?

6 Career.

A lot of the good jobs involve math. Want tobecome an engineer? Work in a laboratory? Perhaps in anaccounting office? You need to be comfortable with math.

Why learn math?

6 Career. A lot of the good jobs involve math. Want tobecome an engineer? Work in a laboratory? Perhaps in anaccounting office? You need to be comfortable with math.

Why learn math?

7 Logic.

If you want to understand logic thoroughly, youhave two choices: Study it through philosophy, or study itthrough math. I took both routes, personally; butunderstanding how logic works is a great aid in life, fromrecognizing bad arguments to working your way throughimportant life decisions.

So if someone is going to take care of you for the rest of yourlife and guide you through it, perhaps you don’t need math atall.

Why learn math?

7 Logic. If you want to understand logic thoroughly, youhave two choices: Study it through philosophy, or study itthrough math. I took both routes, personally; butunderstanding how logic works is a great aid in life, fromrecognizing bad arguments to working your way throughimportant life decisions.

Why learn math?

7 Logic. If you want to understand logic thoroughly, youhave two choices: Study it through philosophy, or study itthrough math. I took both routes, personally; butunderstanding how logic works is a great aid in life, fromrecognizing bad arguments to working your way throughimportant life decisions.

Why learn math?

My additional response:

Why learn math?

My additional response:

What makes a piece of mathematics worth studying?

beautyutilityhistorical importance

beauty

utilityhistorical importance

beautyutility

historical importance

beautyutilityhistorical importance

Beauty

Utility

Hubble’s Law: v = H0d

Maxwell’s Equations:∇ · B = 0∇× E = −∂B/∂t∇× H = ∂D/∂t + J

Riemann zeta function: ζ(s) =∞∑

Utility

Historical importance

√2 is irrational

Fermat’s Last Theorem: xn + yn = zn for n > 2axiomatic geometry

√2 is irrational

Fermat’s Last Theorem: xn + yn = zn for n > 2

axiomatic geometry

√2 is irrational

Fermat’s Last Theorem: xn + yn = zn for n > 2axiomatic geometry

Goals for today

Give you lots more things to try and cover in an alreadytoo-crowded math curriculum.

Goals for today

Give you lots more things to try and cover in an alreadytoo-crowded math curriculum.

Goals for today

//////////////////////////Give////////////////////////you////////////////////////lots////////////////////////////////more//////////////////////////////////////things//////////////to///////////////////try/////////////////////////and//////////////////////////////////cover/////////////in//////////////////an//////////////////////////////////////////////already//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////too-crowded////////////////////////////////math///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////curriculum.

Help you learn to see things the way a mathematician does.see math everywhere and delight in itfind joy in figuring things outsee connections between different areas of mathfocus on the big picturelook for underlying structure and opportunities forabstraction

Goals for today

//////////////////////////Give////////////////////////you////////////////////////lots////////////////////////////////more//////////////////////////////////////things//////////////to///////////////////try/////////////////////////and//////////////////////////////////cover/////////////in//////////////////an//////////////////////////////////////////////already//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////too-crowded////////////////////////////////math///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////curriculum.Help you learn to see things the way a mathematician does.

see math everywhere and delight in itfind joy in figuring things outsee connections between different areas of mathfocus on the big picturelook for underlying structure and opportunities forabstraction

Goals for today

see math everywhere and delight in it

find joy in figuring things outsee connections between different areas of mathfocus on the big picturelook for underlying structure and opportunities forabstraction

Goals for today

see math everywhere and delight in itfind joy in figuring things out

see connections between different areas of mathfocus on the big picturelook for underlying structure and opportunities forabstraction

Goals for today

see math everywhere and delight in itfind joy in figuring things outsee connections between different areas of math

focus on the big picturelook for underlying structure and opportunities forabstraction

Goals for today

see math everywhere and delight in itfind joy in figuring things outsee connections between different areas of mathfocus on the big picture

look for underlying structure and opportunities forabstraction

Goals for today

see math everywhere and delight in itfind joy in figuring things outsee connections between different areas of mathfocus on the big picturelook for underlying structure and opportunities forabstraction

My research

Dynamical systems

change over time

what happens next depends on current state“sensitive dependence on initial conditions”

Dynamical systems

change over timewhat happens next depends on current state

“sensitive dependence on initial conditions”

Dynamical systems

change over timewhat happens next depends on current state“sensitive dependence on initial conditions”

Examples of dynamical systems: Weather

Examples of dynamical systems: Population

P(x) = λx(1− x)

Examples of dynamical systems: Sierpinski gasket

Number theory

study of the integers Z = {. . . ,−3,−2,−1,0,1,2, . . .}

study of the rational numbers {a/b : a,b ∈ Z,b 6= 0}prime numbers {2,3,5,7,11, . . .}cryptography

xp ≡ x (mod p)

25 = 32 = 6 · 5 + 2≡ 2 (mod 5)

35 = 243 = 48 · 5 + 3≡ 3 (mod 5)

45 = 1024 = 204 · 5 + 4≡ 4 (mod 5)

Number theory

study of the integers Z = {. . . ,−3,−2,−1,0,1,2, . . .}study of the rational numbers {a/b : a,b ∈ Z,b 6= 0}

prime numbers {2,3,5,7,11, . . .}cryptography

xp ≡ x (mod p)

25 = 32 = 6 · 5 + 2≡ 2 (mod 5)

35 = 243 = 48 · 5 + 3≡ 3 (mod 5)

45 = 1024 = 204 · 5 + 4≡ 4 (mod 5)

Number theory

study of the integers Z = {. . . ,−3,−2,−1,0,1,2, . . .}study of the rational numbers {a/b : a,b ∈ Z,b 6= 0}prime numbers {2,3,5,7,11, . . .}

cryptographyxp ≡ x (mod p)

25 = 32 = 6 · 5 + 2≡ 2 (mod 5)

35 = 243 = 48 · 5 + 3≡ 3 (mod 5)

45 = 1024 = 204 · 5 + 4≡ 4 (mod 5)

Number theory

study of the integers Z = {. . . ,−3,−2,−1,0,1,2, . . .}study of the rational numbers {a/b : a,b ∈ Z,b 6= 0}prime numbers {2,3,5,7,11, . . .}cryptography

xp ≡ x (mod p)

25 = 32 = 6 · 5 + 2≡ 2 (mod 5)

35 = 243 = 48 · 5 + 3≡ 3 (mod 5)

45 = 1024 = 204 · 5 + 4≡ 4 (mod 5)

Pascal’s Triangle

1 11 2 1

1 3 3 11 4 6 4 1

1 5 10 10 5 11 6 15 20 15 6 1

1 7 21 35 35 21 7 1

Pascal’s Triangle

1 2 11 3 3 1

1 4 6 4 11 5 10 10 5 1

1 6 15 20 15 6 11 7 21 35 35 21 7 1

Pascal’s Triangle

1 3 3 11 4 6 4 1

1 5 10 10 5 11 6 15 20 15 6 1

1 7 21 35 35 21 7 1

Pascal’s Triangle

1 2 11 3 3 1

1 4 6 4 11 5 10 10 5 1

1 6 15 20 15 6 11 7 21 35 35 21 7 1

Pascal’s Triangle

1 2 11 3 3 1

1 4 6 4 11 5 10 10 5 1

1 6 15 20 15 6 11 7 21 35 35 21 7 1

Pascal’s Triangle Mod 2

Pascal’s Triangle Mod 3

A final thought

“But you can’t prove it,” said Susan.

Hawk smiled his warm meaningless smile, “Provin’ don’t matterto me, knowin’s enough.”

“I want it all.”

– R.I. Parker, Pale Kings and Princes

Mathematicians talking about Mathematicsmath.hawaii.edu › ~mmanes › Talks › MathBeauty.pdf ·...

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