The Beauty of Mathematics

Margarita is a Student Ambassador in Greece, leading a series of articles about Aerospace Engineering as part of the STEM club she leads.

Mathematics is often thought of as a subject of numbers, formulas, and calculation, and when researchers describe an equation or set of equations as beautiful, it is not instantly clear exactly what they mean. They could be saying that the equations are pleasurable to perceive at a primal level, either in their simplicity, symmetry, or some other aspect or combination of aspects of their form. They could mean they are beautiful in their mathematical content, succinctly and satisfyingly describing new or complex concepts. Or they might mean the equations are beautiful in a different way, perhaps in how they describe a natural process in an unerring and precise way.

One of the simplest ways to describe its beauty is symmetry; from the structure of snowflakes to the shapes of flowers and crystals, symmetry appears throughout nature. Mathematicians study these patterns not only because they are visibly appealing, but because symmetry can reveal fundamental relations in science.

Another example, and a famous one, is the Fibonacci sequence, in which each number is obtained by adding the previous two. This simple mathematical pattern is connected to arrangements found in nature, including the organization of leaves and seeds in some plants. Perhaps the greatest beauty in mathematics is the ability to connect seemingly unrelated ideas. An equation developed as an abstract mathematical concept may later help scientists understand physical phenomena or describe structures in the universe.

References:

https://www.lindau-nobel.org/blog-exploring-the-beauty-of-mathematics-in-the-natural-sciences/