mathematics

Interesting Ian claims that Math is a philosophy. I claim it is a science. I acknowledge that there are such things as mathematical philosophies, but mathematics, I think, is a science. Surely, looking up the definition across the internet, it appears that it is a science; and the texts I...

CNN and Reuters report that oblate spheroids, such as plain M&M's, pack more densely than regular spheres. Although the report headlines this a "Physics Discovery," it seems to me to be more of a "Mathematics Discovery." Problems associated with "sphere packing" (and other shapes that pack...

I came across this old book in my library the other day. The World of Mathematics, by James Newman. It is a 4 volume collection of essays by very famous mathematicians. Most of the essays are easy-going, but a few are difficult. :)

If Billiefan can do it, so can I. Bill Griffith strikes again: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/comics/Zippy_the_Pinhead_Color.dtl

So start a new thread, I will. Although not always obviously applicable, I assert that understanding mathematics is crucial to understanding the universe. Even if you are trying to understand it philosophically, that philosophy must take into account the mathematics. For example, the...