Math is a human creation based on our observations and interactions with the world around us.
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Mathematics is a human creation, but it is also discovered because math is based on patterns that we find in the natural world. As Albert Einstein said, “Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.”
Interesting facts about math include:
- The world’s oldest documented math problem is the Babylonian clay tablet YBC 7289, which dates back to around 1800 BC and contains a problem about a triangle’s hypotenuse.
- The word “mathematics” comes from the Greek word “mathema,” meaning “knowledge” or “learning.”
- The concept of “zero” was first developed in India around the 5th century and didn’t become widely used in Europe until the Middle Ages.
- The ancient Greeks made significant contributions to math, including Pythagoras’ theorem and Euclid’s geometry.
- The Fibonacci sequence, which is used extensively in math and science, was named after the Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci.
- Math is used in a wide range of fields, including engineering, physics, economics, and computer science.
Here is a table contrasting the attributes of math as something created versus discovered:
| Created Math | Discovered Math |
|---|---|
| Based on human observations and interactions with the world around us | Based on patterns in the natural world |
| Development is influenced by human culture and social norms | Universal and timeless |
| Is subject to change based on new discoveries and ideas | Exists independently of human thought |
| Has practical applications in a variety of fields | Can have no practical applications |
| Can be taught and learned | Can’t be invented, only recognized |
In conclusion, math is both created and discovered. It is a human creation based on observations and interactions with the world around us, but it is also discovered because it is based on patterns found in the natural world. As Galileo Galilei famously said, “Mathematics is the language in which God has written the universe.”
Answer in video
This video discusses the debate between those who believe that mathematics is discovered, and those who believe that it is invented. The video provides examples of how mathematics has been used to solve problems in the real world.
Other responses to your question
And over the centuries, mathematicians have devised hundreds of different techniques capable of proving the theorem. In short, maths is both invented and discovered.
There is no definitive answer to whether math is human-made or discovered. However, mathematicians tend to side with one of several compelling theories. One theory is the Platonic theory, which argues that math is a discoverable system that underlines the structure of the universe. Another theory is that mathematical facts are discovered, not just by humans, but by insects, soap bubbles, combustion engines, and planets.
There is no definitive answer to this question, but mathematicians tend to side with one of several compelling theories. First, there is the Platonic theory. Greek philosopher Plato argued that math is a discoverable system that underlines the structure of the universe.
If mathematics explains so many things we see around us, then it is unlikely that mathematics is something we’ve created. The alternative is that mathematical facts are discovered: not just by humans, but by insects, soap bubbles, combustion engines, and planets.
Is math something that humans created or discovered? Is looking at reality mathematically really an accurate representation life?
The universe is built on mathematical principles. Quantum physicists are beginning to understand more about how these principles work. The wisdom of Kabbalah clearly explains them.
www.kabbalah.info
I am confident that you will be interested in these issues
Maths is a product of the conscious mind: both a tool and a language used to make sense of the designs and functions of our universe – quenching humans’ instinctual thirst for rationalisation.