The Idea of Mathematics

The notion comes from Greek μάθημα máthēma, “knowledge, study, learning”.

I am not strictly mathematical girl, however, the origins of this complex and difficult science always intrigued me. Mathematics is nothing but language, language of characters in shape of triangles, circles, lines, vectors, figures …

The first person I recall when the notion ‘mathematics’ is said is Pythagoras, he is the founder of  “basic mathematical principles” ; he founded the patterns in triangular numbers and the five regular solids. As a theoretician he believed that numbers, indeed, have an intrinsic meanings. For some, it would appear  strange or peculiar, namely, Pythagorean Theorem was not his invention, he ‘borrowed’ it from Babylonians. Truly, nothing bad happened, this copying cat can be forgiven due to his other extremely important invention or discovery. He was the first person who not only claimed but also proved that mathematics is a language. There are patters which reflect the letters and the language of the physical world. Years later Aristotle questioned this idea, which was wrong and quite unfair toward Pythagoras.

Pythagoras showed us the scientific notion of mathematics, which, become the figure of speech, so diverse from the religious, spiritual approach; religions notions were very symbolic, for example altars were made in a shape of birds, mystical figures, all started changing, Pythagorean revelation revolutionized the church, altars and churches had to have a pacific, geometrical shape.

It was the Greeks who pushed the science on and on, made it more and more sophisticated and sublime.

Another fantastic great character - Plato tried to find out and describe the image of figure, of what mathematics really is. Namely, he believed that the figures made the mathematics rules, indicated by axioms. The Platonists believed in so-called blueprints, there was not material universe all around,  they couldn’t accept the notion that the universe was created out of nothing. Therefore to glue the ‘gap of knowledge’ the Christian and Platonic traditions entwined. It was widespread that the physical and divine forms are transcendent. This idea of science was very Christian itself, the God in Christian tradition is one, the only ultimate divine form which is transcendent. All depends on the perspective, one may look, but it is our imagination which judges. The universe seems to be impenetrable, unpredictable, the sky has got a form of chaos, the mass of little lights, what is seen is a different order and a different pattern.

The breakthrough and order came with the discovery made by Ptolemy. He predicted the cycle of planets … now we know his predictions were wrong, the sun and the planets do not cycle around the earth, the earth was about to be in the centre of the universe which is false. His predictions and calculations for many years were used in marine navigation, in contrary to the real shape of the universe, the planets, the sun and the earth, it was very successful and helpful all time long. Mathematics would not be finite without geometry, first geometrical rules were discovered by Greeks, obviously, Euclidian geometry reflected to flat and plain surfaces where the  interior angles and triangles were up to 180 degrees. Euclidian geometry is deeply based on philosophical and religious doctrines. The nature of mathematics was explained by Newton and Leibnitz they proved that mathematics is the language, which is having patterns resembled the letters alike those in the alphabets.

Astronomical and mathematical calculations allowed to look out into space, at the same time, to look back in time and think, judge and decide, to make reflections. Galileo changed the ‘order of the universe’ – put the calculation in order. Alike Newton, Copernicus and Kepler. Not everyone realizes but before we put something into number we imagine it, we simply create the pattern in our mind.  

The tool so complex but making accurate predictions is human brain – according to mathematical calculations the brain is equal to elementary particles that govern the universe. The mathematics is yet to discover its full capacity, unbound and diverse like the atoms.