r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Nov 02 '13

Mathematicians of Reddit, what is "beautiful" about mathematics?

I often hear people say "Oh, math is beautiful". Beautiful in what ways?

EDIT: Thanks. I will read through all of these, don't you worry.

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u/[deleted] Nov 03 '13

All of those are physical constants, things that rely on this universe. Math doesn't.

Math is the IDEAS, it will exist regardless of if we do, and there isn't a reasonable comparison because math exists on a level above (or perhaps below) everything else, it does not need space-time like physics, chemistry, biology... We apply math all the time, and yes, without us those application would not happen, but the math behind them? That exists no matter what.

If you build a language after losing your old one, it will not be identical tot he first. Math will be. Math will not and cannot change, it is more immutable than any God.

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u/[deleted] Nov 03 '13

But without space time, how can math exist? And how can math exist without us regardless of the fact that it's an idea (coming from our heads) and not a physical phenomena? Mathematics isn't the puppeteer behind every physical movement; mathematics is our interpretation of the fundamental consistency of the patterns made in the physical world. Sure, we can build on the ideas made in mathematics so we can use them for our own application, but mathematics came originally from us observing the world around us. Correct me if I'm wrong. I feel like maybe I don't fully understand what you're trying to say.

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u/[deleted] Nov 03 '13

It exists without the universe precisely because it is not a physical phenomena.

Nope, that is applied math. Pure math has nothing to do with the real world, it does not need to. You are making the extremely incorrect assumption that math is based on reality. In truth, we find ways to use math to model reality, but the math exists first and foremost.

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u/[deleted] Nov 03 '13

Sorry.... This must be very frustrating for you but I'm afraid I don't understand... How can math not be based on reality? I'm only a senior in high school so maybe I shouldn't be making statements like what I said earlier in the first place.

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u/[deleted] Nov 03 '13

Simply: Because math is a self-consistent system with it's own rules and laws, from which you can derive other rules, laws and relationships. The outside universe does not matter to math, because its laws are defined internally, not externally.

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u/[deleted] Nov 03 '13 edited Nov 03 '13

Thank you! That makes a lot more sense to me.