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Is pure maths an art or a science?

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Reply 20
Avatar for Linda
Linda
3
Ben.S.
It's a science!!!

Ben

and yet it is also an art...
Reply 21
Avatar for not1
not1
15
Linda
and yet it is also an art...

to no greater or lesser extent than science
Reply 22
Avatar for Worried
Worried
So it's 50% art and 50% science exactly?
Reply 23
Avatar for Linda
Linda
3
edders
to no greater or lesser extent than science


but pure math, maths for math's sake, may be closer to the true meaning of art (and perhaps the original meaning of art, i.e. skill) than to science...

"The mathematician’s patterns, like the painter’s or the poet’s, must be beautiful; the ideas, like the colours or words, must fit together in a harmonious way. Beauty is the first test; there is no permanent place in the world for ugly mathematics . . .
It may be very hard to define mathematical beauty, but that is just as true of beauty of any kind-we may not know quite what we mean by a beautiful poem, but that does not prevent us from recognizing one when we read it."
-G. H. Hardy
Reply 24
Avatar for ++Hex++
++Hex++
8
Linda
but pure math, maths for math's sake, may be closer to the true meaning of art (and perhaps the original meaning of art, i.e. skill) than to science...

"The mathematician’s patterns, like the painter’s or the poet’s, must be beautiful; the ideas, like the colours or words, must fit together in a harmonious way. Beauty is the first test; there is no permanent place in the world for ugly mathematics . . .
It may be very hard to define mathematical beauty, but that is just as true of beauty of any kind-we may not know quite what we mean by a beautiful poem, but that does not prevent us from recognizing one when we read it."
-G. H. Hardy


Lovely quote. :smile:
Reply 25
Avatar for Worried
Worried
"The mathematician’s patterns, like the painter’s or the poet’s, must be beautiful; the ideas, like the colours or words, must fit together in a harmonious way."

But does the above not apply for the various thereoms in science? Could it not be said that the most important equations and ideas in Physics have a kind of elegance and beauty of their own? And does that make the subject an art?
Reply 26
Avatar for mikesgt2
mikesgt2
Pure maths isn't science or art. When pure maths strays into questions like what is 0^0? what is 0/0? Why is i^i a real number? it clearly shows that it has no scientific purpose; in other words, it bears no meaningful relationship to the real world.

If you want to call philosophy an 'art,' then I would say that pure maths was closest to an art as it deals with very abstract questions. However, pure maths cannot be likened to literature, painting or drama since pure maths is concerned with precision whereas literature etc.. is based very much upon personal interpretation.

I would say that pure maths is a very abstract subject, which cannot really be categorised as an art or science.
Reply 27
Avatar for elpaw
elpaw
15
MadNatSci
Well, is it?

It's a philosophy
Reply 28
Avatar for muffe
muffe
3
elpaw
It's a philosophy

Philosophy is a game with objectives and no rules.
Mathematics is a game with rules and no objectives.
Reply 29
Avatar for ++Hex++
++Hex++
8
theone
I think it's unfair to say pure maths has no relation to the real world, the use of RSA encryption for example.


It does have applications, but that's not why people do it. :biggrin:
Reply 30
Avatar for elpaw
elpaw
15
muffe
Philosophy is a game with objectives and no rules.
Mathematics is a game with rules and no objectives.

what's your sig about?
Reply 31
Avatar for muffe
muffe
3
elpaw
what's your sig about?

mathematical proof that sex=fun
Reply 32
Avatar for theone
theone
muffe
mathematical proof that sex=fun


Do you get any with sigs like that?
Reply 33
Avatar for muffe
muffe
3
theone
Do you get any with sigs like that?

being the only girl in the maths HL class, yeah...
Reply 34
Avatar for GH
GH
13
theone
Do you get any with sigs like that?

lol
Reply 35
Avatar for theone
theone
muffe
being the only girl in the maths HL class, yeah...


Well, that's shut me up :smile:
Reply 36
Avatar for elpaw
elpaw
15
muffe
mathematical proof that sex=fun

aaahhhhhh didn't see it
Reply 37
Avatar for GH
GH
13
theone
Well, that's shut me up :smile:

u should have read her profile :biggrin:
Reply 38
Avatar for muffe
muffe
3
theone
Well, that's shut me up :smile:

I was just kidding... My personal life is, well, personal... But I am the only girl in maths HL now :tongue:
Reply 39
Avatar for elpaw
elpaw
15
muffe
mathematical proof that sex=fun

so what is the integral with respect to?

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