Many people believe that humans created mathematics. A different perspective was held by the Pythagorean school of thought in ancient Greece. Its supporters thought that mathematics was at the heart of reality. It is a crucial element of nature that gives the physical universe structure.
Honeybees and Hexagons
Hexagons are the most practical shape for tiling the plane, according to the mathematical “honeycomb conjecture.” The honeycomb conjecture was first put forth in antiquity, but mathematician Thomas Hales only proved it in 1999.
Cicadas and Prime Numbers
Periodical cicadas in North America have two subspecies, both of which spend most of their lives underground. The cicadas come out in large swarms for about two weeks, once every 13 or 17 years. When their predators, which have life cycles of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9 years, are dormant, the cicadas would emerge from the ground in the years of the prime numbers. These cicadas appear to have evolved to take advantage of simple mathematical principles.
Historical perspectives
According to the Greek philosopher Plato, mathematics describes actual objects, such as numbers and geometric shapes. The Pythagoreans of ancient times agreed with Plato. It is simple to understand how
mathematics might be used to explain the world around us if reality is made up of mathematical objects. The conscious universe learns about itself through mathematics. Matter provides the substance for mathematics, and mathematics provides the form for the matter.
The Future of Mathematics
Physics has become increasingly mathematical over the past century, and to understand the physical universe, it has turned to seemingly abstract fields of study like differential geometry and group theory. It is becoming more difficult to distinguish between the physical and mathematical aspects of the world as the line between them blurs.
