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https://theconversation.com/exploring-the-mathematical-universe-connections-contradictions-and-kale-196053>
"Science and maths skills are widely celebrated as keys to economic and
technological progress, but abstract mathematics may seem bafflingly far from
industrial optimisation or medical imaging. Pure mathematics often yields
unanticipated applications, but without a time machine to look into the future,
how do mathematicians like me choose what to study?
Over Thai noodles, I asked some colleagues what makes a problem interesting,
and they offered a slew of suggestions: surprises, contradictions, patterns,
exceptions, special cases, connections. These answers might sound quite
different, but they all support a view of the mathematical universe as a
structure to explore.
In this view, mathematicians are like anatomists learning how a body works, or
navigators charting new waters. The questions we ask take many forms, but the
most interesting ones are those that help us see the big picture more clearly."
Warning: article ends with a bad pun!
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
