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We show that many ancient Indian mythological legends are really allegorical depictions of astronomical and other physical phenomena of which the composers had a good idea. This detail enables us to also use techniques of astronomical…
Sophisticated computation methods were developed 4000 years ago in Mesopotamia in the context of scribal schools. The basics of the computation can be detected in clay tablets written by young students educated in these scribal schools. At…
As David Berlinski writes (1997), the existence and nature of mathematics is a more compelling and far deeper problem than any of the problems raised by mathematics itself. Here we analyze the essence of mathematics making the main emphasis…
In this article, I discuss the relationship of mathematics to the physical world, and to other spheres of human knowledge. In particular, I argue that Mathematics is created by human beings, and the number $\pi$ can not be said to have…
I discuss some general aspects of the creation, interpretation, and reception of mathematics as a part of civilization and culture.
We answer to criticisms of O. Keller about our interpretation work on the Ishango rod, the oldest mathematical tool of humankind. Our hypothesis, that is widely accepted, is that this prehistoric rod is the first mankind manifestation of a…
Since ancient times, mathematics has proven unreasonably effective in its description of physical phenomena. As humankind enters a period of advancement where the completion of the much coveted theory of quantum gravity is at hand, there is…
In this note some philosophical thoughts and observations about mathematics are expressed, arranged as challenges to some common claims.
The K\=aty\=ayana \'Sulvasutra has been much less studied or discussed from a modern perspective, even though the first English translation of two adhy\=ayas (chapters) from it, by Thibaut, appeared as far back as 1882. Part of the reason…
This paper, third in the series on Indian tradition of physics, describes conceptions of the cosmos with ideas that are clearly spelt out in texts such as Yoga Vasishtha.In particular, the conception of multiple universes that occurs often…
It is nowadays common to consider that proof must be part of the learning of mathematics from Kindergarten to University1. As it is easy to observe, looking back to the history of mathematical curricula, this has not always been the case…
The use of historical estimates in current studies is common in a wide variety of application areas. Nevertheless, despite their routine use the uncertainty associated with historical estimates is rarely properly accounted for in the…
This paper frames calculus as a global, centuries-long development rather than a subject that began only with Newton and Leibniz. Drawing on ideas from Greek, Indian, Islamic, and later European mathematics, it highlights how concepts like…
Legal expert systems routinely rely on date computations to determine the eligibility of a citizen to social benefits or whether an application has been filed on time. Unfortunately, date arithmetic exhibits many corner cases, which are…
Mathematics enters the period of change unprecedented in its history, perhaps even a revolution: a switch to use of computers as assistants and checkers in production of proofs. This requires rethinking traditional approaches to mathematics…
In this paper, we present a series of mathematical problems which throw interesting lights on flamenco music. More specifically, these are problems in discrete and computational mathematics suggested by an analytical (not compositional)…
This article focuses on evolvement of the history of mathematics as a science and development of its methodology from the 4th century B.C. to the age of Enlightenment.
The fundamental role of mathematics as an inspiration for artists, but also as a tool for art creation, is presented in this paper following different art fields, like architecture, sculpture, painting, photography, literature and poetry,…
Mathematics and its relation to the physical universe have been the topic of speculation since the days of Pythagoras. Several different views of the nature of mathematics have been considered: Realism - mathematics exists and is…
This article is the first part of a study of the so-called 'mathematical part' of Plato's Theaetetus (147d-148b). The subject of this 'mathematical part' is the irrationality, one of the most important topics in early Greek mathematics. As…