"Mathematics must subdue the flights of our reason; they are the staff of the blind; no one can take a step without them; and to them and experience is due all that is certain in physics." – Voltaire (1694-1778) #quote#mathematics#math#maths
Why are algorithms called algorithms? A brief history of the Persian polymath you’ve likely never heard of.
Over 1,000 years before the internet and smartphone apps, Persian scientist and polymath Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī invented the concept of algorithms.
Maths/CogSci/MathPsych lazyweb: Are there any algebras in which you have subtraction but don't have negative values? Pointers appreciated. I am hoping that the abstract maths might shed some light on a problem in cognitive modelling.
The context is that I am interested in formal models of cognitive representations and I want to represent things (e.g. cats), don't believe that we should be able to represent negated things (i.e. I don't think it should be able to represent anti-cats), but it makes sense to subtract representations (e.g. remove the representation of a cat from the representation of a cat and a dog, leaving only the representation of the dog).
"Numbers are free creations of the human mind, they serve as a means of apprehending more easily and more sharply the diversity of things." – Richard Dedekind (1831-1916) #quote#mathematics#math#maths#numbers
American mathematician Anna Johnson Pell Wheeler was born #OTD in 1883.
She received her Ph.D. in 1909 with a dissertation on "Biorthogonal Systems of Functions with Applications to the Theory of Integral Equations," a topic in functional analysis that was innovative at the time. Wheeler was instrumental in bringing German mathematician Emmy Noether to Bryn Mawr in 1933, after the latter's expulsion from the University of Göttingen by the Nazi government.
Italian mathematician and physicist Vito Volterra was born #OTD in 1860.
One of Volterra's most famous contributions came in the field of mathematical biology with his work on population dynamics. He formulated the The Lotka–Volterra equations which are frequently used to describe the dynamics of biological systems in which two species interact, one as a predator and the other as prey.
French mathematician and physicist Henri Poincaré was born #OTD in 1854.
He is considered one of the founders of the field of topology. He was among the first to present the Lorentz transformations, part of the groundwork for Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity. Poincaré also studied the behavior of planetary orbits and contributed to the three-body problem in celestial mechanics, exploring the stability and motion of celestial bodies.
Okay, it's time. Time to change servers. Time to have local & federated timelines that don't make my eyes bleed. Time to support an indie effort.
Does anyone want to share about their server? My main interests are #Music - I play #Eurorack#Synth, #Guitar, #ChapmanStick, and software, with varying degrees of skill - and #Mathematics - I'm attempting to get into grad school for #Math to facilitate a career change. I'm also liberal af, if that matters one way or the other on your server.
"Mathematics may be defined as the subject in which we never know what we are talking about, nor whether what we are saying is true." – Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) #quote#mathematics#maths#math
German mathematician and mathematics educator Felix Klein was born #OTD in 1849.
He is best known for his substantial contributions to group theory, complex analysis, non-Euclidean geometry, and for connecting mathematics with other disciplines, notably physics. His notable achievements are the Erlangen Program, Complex Analysis and Algebraic Geometry, Klein Bottle, and Klein's Quartic Curve.
French mathematician and physicist Siméon-Denis Poisson died #OTD in 1840.
He is known for his significant contributions to mathematical physics, particularly in the fields of mechanics, probability theory, and electricity. He made crucial advancements in understanding the behavior of fluids & the mathematical treatment of physical phenomena. Some of his most notable contributions include: Poisson distribution, potential theory, fluid mechanics, electromagnetism.
Where (in England) do they sell physical copies of mathematics and physics textbooks that you can pick up and peruse before buying?
The obvious answer is Foyles on Charing Cross Road, but lately the selection of maths & physics textbooks there has been pitiful. They're barely bothering to stock textbooks any more (it didn't look much better for the adjacent chemistry and biology sections either), and lately when I've gone, it's not sated my need to physically shop for textbooks.
Today, 200 students from schools in Tirol, Vorarlberg and Salzburg are taking part in the international #Mathematics Competition #Naboj at the University of Innsbruck #study#maths