Delve into the mystical origins of mathematics with a focus on Pythagoras and his belief in the divine nature of numbers. Explore the debate on whether mathematics is a human invention or a universal discovery, with insights on its role in interpreting the world. Hear about the creative process of mathematics, the search for definitive answers, and the philosophical underpinnings of its existence.
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Mathematics As The Language Of Nature
Pythagoras popularized the idea that mathematics could be the language of the physical world.
That philosophical stance shaped Western science and influenced later scientific revolutions.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Geometry And Ritual Altars
Ian Stewart recounts similar geometric traditions in India linked to altar construction and area-doubling.
He ties these ritual problems to the development of Pythagorean-style geometry.
insights INSIGHT
Practical Success Doesn’t Prove Ontology
Mathematical systems can be effective even if based on false physical assumptions.
Effectiveness stems from matching patterns, not guaranteed truth of underlying metaphysics.
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Melvyn Bragg looks at the deep claims made for mathematics, the discipline some believe to be the soul and true key to the understanding of all life, from the petals on the sunflower to the pulse in our wrists. The notion that mathematics is akin to theology might take some taking in at first. But from the first, in the West, they were. To Pythagoras, numbers were mystical and “prove” God. To Plato, who, it is claimed, has driven mathematics for over two thousand years, the ideals beyond the reality of our lives are to be found in mathematical perfections, immutable truth, God again in numbers. Are mathematics there in the universe, waiting to be discovered as the great ocean lying before Newton - or are they constructs applied by us to the universe and imposed rather than uncovered? It’s a long way from chalky sums on the blackboard and the first careless swing of the compass. Galilei Galileo wrote, “The Universe cannot be read until we have learnt the language and become familiar with the characters in which it was written. It is written in mathematical language, and the letters are triangles, circles and other geometrical figures, without which means it is humanly impossible to comprehend a single word”. But is he right that mathematics is the script in which the universe was written, or is it really just one of many possible systems that humankind has invented to interpret our world? Is mathematics is a process of invention or a voyage of discovery?With Ian Stewart, Professor of Mathematics and Gresham Professor of Geometry, University of Warwick; Margaret Wertheim, science writer, journalist and author of Pythagoras’ Trousers; John D Barrow, Professor of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge.
In Our Time