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4/16/2015

Math:Discovered,Invented,orBoth?TheNatureofRealityTheNatureofReality|PBS

The Nature of Reality


THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS

Math: Discovered, Invented, or Both?


By Mario Livio on Mon, 13 Apr 2015

Themiracleoftheappropriatenessofthelanguageofmathematicstotheformulation
ofthelawsofphysicsisawonderfulgiftwhichweneitherunderstandnordeserve.
EugeneWignerwrotethesewordsinhis1960articleTheUnreasonableEffectivenessof
MathematicsintheNaturalSciences
(http://math.northwestern.edu/~theojf/FreshmanSeminar2014/Wigner1960.pdf).
TheNobelprizewinningphysicistsreportstillcapturestheuncannyabilityof
mathematicsnotonlytodescribeandexplain,buttopredictphenomenainthephysical
world.

Credit: Flickr user Barney Livingston (https://www.flickr.com/photos/barnoid/), adapted under a


Creative Commons license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/).

Howisitpossiblethatallthephenomenaobservedinclassicalelectricityandmagnetism
canbeexplainedbymeansofjustfourmathematicalequations?Moreover,physicist
JamesClerkMaxwell(afterwhomthosefourequationsofelectromagnetismarenamed)
showedin1864thattheequationspredictedthatvaryingelectricormagneticfields
shouldgeneratecertainpropagatingwaves.Thesewavesthefamiliarelectromagnetic
waves(whichincludelight,radiowaves,xrays,etc.)wereeventuallydetectedbythe
GermanphysicistHeinrichHertzinaseriesofexperimentsconductedinthelate1880s.

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Andifthatisnotenough,themodernmathematicaltheorywhichdescribeshowlightand
matterinteract,knownasquantumelectrodynamics(QED),isevenmoreastonishing.In
2010agroupofphysicistsatHarvardUniversitydeterminedthemagneticmomentof
theelectron(whichmeasureshowstronglytheelectroninteractswithamagneticfield)to
aprecisionoflessthanonepartinatrillion.Calculationsoftheelectronsmagnetic
momentbasedonQEDreachedaboutthesameprecisionandthetworesultsagree!
Whatisitthatgivesmathematicssuchincrediblepower?
Thepuzzleofthepowerofmathematicsisinfactevenmorecomplexthantheabove
examplesfromelectromagnetismmightsuggest.Thereareactuallytwofacetstothe
unreasonableeffectiveness,onethatIcallactiveandanotherthatIdubpassive.The
activefacetreferstothefactthatwhenscientistsattempttolighttheirwaythroughthe
labyrinthofnaturalphenomena,theyusemathematicsastheirtorch.Inotherwords,at
leastsomeofthelawsofnatureareformulatedindirectlyapplicablemathematical
terms.Themathematicalentities,relations,andequationsusedinthoselawswere
developedforaspecificapplication.Newton,forinstance,formulatedthebranchof
mathematicsknownascalculusbecauseheneededthistoolforcapturingmotionand
change,breakingthemupintotinyframebyframesequences.Similarly,stringtheorists
todayoftendevelopthemathematicalmachinerytheyneed.
Passiveeffectiveness,ontheotherhand,referstocasesinwhichmathematicians
developedabstractbranchesofmathematicswithabsolutelynoapplicationsinmindyet
decades,orsometimescenturieslater,physicistsdiscoveredthatthosetheoriesprovided
necessarymathematicalunderpinningsforphysicalphenomena.Examplesofpassive
effectivenessabound.MathematicianBernhardRiemann,forexample,discussedinthe
1850snewtypesofgeometriesthatyouwouldencounteronsurfacescurvedlikeasphere
orasaddle(insteadoftheflatplanegeometrythatwelearninschool).Then,when
EinsteinformulatedhistheoryofGeneralRelativity(in1915),Riemannsgeometries
turnedouttobepreciselythetoolheneeded!
Atthecoreofthismathmysteryliesanotherargumentthatmathematicians,
philosophers,and,mostrecently,cognitivescientistshavehadforalongtime:Ismathan
inventionofthehumanbrain?Ordoesmathexistinsomeabstractworld,withhumans
merelydiscoveringitstruths?Thedebateaboutthisquestioncontinuestoragetoday.
Personally,Ibelievethatbyaskingsimplywhethermathematicsisdiscoveredor
invented,weforgetthepossibilitythatmathematicsisanintricatecombinationof
inventionsanddiscoveries.Indeed,Ipositthathumansinventthemathematical
conceptsnumbers,shapes,sets,lines,andsoonbyabstractingthemfromtheworld
aroundthem.Theythengoontodiscoverthecomplexconnectionsamongtheconcepts
thattheyhadinventedthesearethesocalledtheoremsofmathematics.
ImustadmitthatIdonotknowthefull,compellinganswertothequestionofwhatisit
thatgivesmathematicsitsstupendouspowers.Thatremainsamystery.
GoDeeper
Editorspicksforfurtherreading

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Math:Discovered,Invented,orBoth?TheNatureofRealityTheNatureofReality|PBS

NOVA:TheGreatMathMystery(http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/greatmath
mystery.html)
Ismathinventedbyhumans,orisitthelanguageoftheuniverse?NOVAtakesonthis
questioninanewfilmpremieringApril15,2015at9pmonmostPBSstations.
NOVA:DescribingNaturewithMath
(http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/describingnaturemath.html)
Howdoscientistsusemathematicstodefinereality?Andwhy?PeterTysoninvestigates
twomillenniaofmathematicaldiscovery.
TheWashingtonPost:TheStructureofEverything
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp
dyn/content/article/2009/02/05/AR2009020502876.html)
Learnmoreabouttheunreasonableeffectivenessofmathematicsinthisreviewof
MarioLiviosbookIsGodaMathematician?
Mario Livio

Dr.MarioLivioisaninternationallyknownastrophysicistattheSpaceTelescope
ScienceInstitute,theinstitutewhichconductsthescientificprogramoftheHubble
SpaceTelescope,andwillconductthescientificprogramoftheupcomingJames
WebbSpaceTelescope.HeisaFellowoftheAmericanAssociationforthe
AdvancementofScience.Hehaspublishedmorethan400scientificpapersontopics
rangingfromdarkenergyandcosmologytoblackholesandextrasolarplanets.Dr.
Livioisalsotheauthoroffivepopularsciencebooks,including"TheGoldenRatio"
(forwhichhereceivedthe"PeanoPrize"andthe"InternationalPythagorasPrize")
and"IsGodAMathematician?"Livio'srecentbook,"BrilliantBlunders,"wasonthe
BestsellersListoftheNewYorkTimes,andwasselectedbytheWashingtonPostas
oneofthe"2013BestBooksoftheYear."
Otherpostsfromthiscontributor(http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/blogs/physics/author/mario
livio/)

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Jointhediscussion
JessTauber 2daysago

SeveralyearsagoIdiscoveredthatatomicshellstructures(both
electronicandnuclear)appearedtodependonmathematical
combinatoricsthatcamerightoutofthePascalTriangle.Forexample,in
thesimpleharmonicoscillatormodelofshellstructureinthespherical

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thesimpleharmonicoscillatormodelofshellstructureinthespherical
atomicnucleus,magicnumbersofnucleons(whereshellsarefilled,
analogouslytonoblegasesinelectronicstructure)are
2,8,20,40,70,112,168theseareexactlydoubledtetrahedralnumbers
1,4,10,20,35,56,84...Variationsonthisthemealsohelpdeterminethe
harmonicoscillatormagicnumbersforellipsoidallydeformednuclei.
Differencesbetweenthesphericalmagicsaresinglecopiesofdoubled
triangularnumbers,andtheoscillatorratioofasphereis1:1.Whenthe
oscillatorratiois2:1thenTWOcopiesofeachdoubletriangularnumber
sumtogiveeachnextdeformedmagicinsuccession.Whentheratiois
3:1,thenTHREEcopiessosum.Ontheotherhand,foroblately
deformednuclei,therelationisdivisionalratherthanmultiplicational.
Forthesphere,adoubletriangularnumberdifferenceexistsforevery
magicnumber.Butfortheoblatenucleusofoscillatorratio1:2,that
differenceisbetweenEVERYOTHERmagic,andforratio1:3between
EVERYTHIRDmagicandsoon.Exceptionsexistwhenyouhaven'tyet
accumulatedenoughmagics(equaltothedenominatoroftheoscillator
ratio),andthenthemagicsaresimpledoubletriangularnumbersuntil
youreachthatpoint.Noexceptions.Morecomplicated'realistic'models
ofthenucleusincludeaspinorbitinteractionaswellasmodificationsto
thepotentialwellthenucleonsfeel.ButevenheretherearePascal
relationships.Socalled'intruder'levels(thehighestspinorbitalpartials
fromthenexthighershell)lowertheirenergies(becauseofthespinorbit
coupling)enoughtodropintothepreviousshell,addingtheirnumberof
nucleonstothemagics(so40+10(g9/2)=50,70+12(h11/2)=82,
112+14(i13/2)=126,168+16(j15/2)=184andsoon.TheDEPTHofsuch
penetration(thetotalcountjustbeforeorafteroneaddstheintruder
nucleons)turnsout(forneutrons)tobeexactlydoubledtriangular
numbers.So402=38,withg9/2startingjustafter,and502=48,where
the10nucleonsterminate.706=64,withh11/2startingafter,and82
6=76,wherethe12nucleonsterminate.Andsoon.Therearemanyother
Pascalmathematicalrelationshipspresentinnuclearshellstructure.The
reasontheyworkseemstobethatintheharmonicoscillatornucleuseach
periodiscomposedofsumsofeveryotherorbital,segregatedbyparity.
Sos=2,p=6,ds=12,fp=20,gds=30,hfp=42,igds=56,jhfp=72...Note
thatthesearealldoubledtriangularnumbers.Further,theSIZESofthe
additionsgivenbyintrudersaren'tarbitrary,butareexactlythoseneeded
toincreasethetotalsizeoftheperiodtheyaddtotothenextdouble
triangularnumber20+10=30,30+12=42,42+14=56andsoon.The
phenomenonpreservesdoubletriangularity!
Intheelectronicstructure,ifwereformattheperiodictablesothatthes
blockelementsareontherightedge(the'leftstep'tableofCharlesJanet

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blockelementsareontherightedge(the'leftstep'tableofCharlesJanet
(discoveredinthelate1920's,whichorganizesthingsthewayaphysicist
would,ratherthanachemist),thenthealkalineearths(butalso
includinghelium)terminateeachperiod.Ifyoulookattheatomic
numbersofeveryothers2elementtheyareALLtetrahedralnumbers
(4,20,56,*120).Andalltheintermediateatomicnumbersarethe
arithmeticmeansofthese(so(0+4)/2=2,(4+20)/2=12,(20+56)/2=38,
(56+120)=88...This'triad'relationshipwasdiscoveredoriginallyinthe
early19thcenturybutbasedonatomicweightsratherthanatomic
numbers,andwasthebasisoftheperiodicrelation'sdiscovery(most
famouslybyMendeleevbuthewasn'ttheonlyone).Becauseofthese
numericalrelationshipstheentireperiodicsystemcanbe
reconceptualizedinthreedimensionsasaperfecttetrahedroncomposed
ofclosepackedspheres,eachsphererepresentingoneelement.Aswith
thenuclearsystemtherearemanyotherPascalrelationshipsinshell
structure.Eachelectronicperiodisahalf/doublesquarenumberinsize:
2,8,18,32,50...ButintheJanettabletheyareallpairedforsize,which
givessumsofdualsasfullsquares4,16,36,64...AndifyousumTHESE
yougetthetetrahedralnumbers4,20,56,120.Thequestioniswhatarewe
tomakeofallthisisitmere'numerology'orcanwegainsomeadvance
toourunderstandingofNaturethroughsuchstudies?
1

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SamuelBass>JessTauber 10hoursago

Lookuptetryonics.Soundslikeyou'vegotapieceofthepuzzle
figuredout.

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PaulStamison 9hoursago

IjustsawtheprogramandwasIeversoexcitedasIlovemathandI
alwaysvieweditjustliketheprogramdid.IwilltrytogettheDVDand
willshowittomyafterschoolprogramforsomebrilliantgrade7and8
students.Thankyou.

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MoliehiMarake 16hoursago

Forsolong,Iwonderedwhymostprinciplesandstudiesinlifearebetter
understoodwhenexpressedandexplainedinmathematicalterms,but
thispiecehasjustgivensomeperspectivetomyquestions.Ipersonally
considermathematicsaninnatepartofman,justaslanguageis.Itisa
toolwithinusthatnaturallyexists,atoolweresorttoindireneedto
answersomeofthephenomenaaroundus.

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answersomeofthephenomenaaroundus.
u15269559

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GeorgeGantz adayago

Withallduerespect,mathematicsisaconprehensiveandintegrated
wholearisingatthepointofconsciousawarenessofthefirstdistinction
ofsomethingfromnothingthroughapriorilawsoflogic.Thisisthe
thesisofmyessayTheHoleattheCenterofCreation,oneof200
submittedinthe2015FQXiessaycontestonthistopic.Anyoneseriously
interestedinthewideanddisparateviewsonthisissueshouldvisit
FQXi.org.Publiccommentsandessayratingsarewelcome!

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JessTauber 2daysago

Oneotherpoint.OnawhimItookFibonaccinumbersandmappedthem
asATOMICNUMBERS.Itturnedout,foratleastallknownelements,
theymappedasFIRST/LEFTMOSTelementsintheorbitalhalfrows.
Thisisrelevantbecauseelectronsfilllobessinglybeforetheystartto
doubleup,sotheleftorbitalhalfhasonlysinglyfilledlobesandtheright
orbitalhalfstartsdoublinglobes.AND,theoddFibnumberswerealways
mappedtothesinglyfilledfirst/lefthalforbital,andtheevenFib
numberstothedoublefillingsecond/righthalforbital.At144shell
modelspredictthatthismappingschemewillbeseverelyoutof
alignment,butthenagainwe'llprobablyneverseesuchheavyelements.
Interestingly,therelatedLucasnumbers2,1,3,4,7,11,18,29,47,76,123....
tendtomaptoLAST/rightmostpositionsinorbitalhalfrows.Thisworks
upto18,butafterwardsmisaligns.EvensoNatureseemstohave
behavioralfixes:29,copper,and47,silver,areinthesamecolumn
(coinagemetals)withelectronicconfigurationsthatare'anomalous'.By
positioninthetablethey*should*haved9,s2butinsteadhaved10,s1,
whereoneelectronhasbeenabstractedfromafullsshell(renderingit
halffilledbutthatisokfortheLucastrend)andfillingthedshell,again
okintheLucassystem).76,osmium,hasthecorrectelectronic
configurationforitspositionwithintheperiodictable,butacts'asif'it
werexenoninsomeofitscompounds,thatisanoblegaswithafull
orbital.Apparentlyd6isreinterpretedasifitwerep6.

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NigelReading|ASYNSIS 2daysago

BothInvented&Discovered...I'mwithMario.Theintelligenceisinthe
geometryitself,ifit'sselfconsistent,itcanalsobeselforganising.
My@Quoraanswerto"DotheFibonacciSequence,Pi,andtheGolden

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My@Quoraanswerto"DotheFibonacciSequence,Pi,andtheGolden
Ratiodoanythingtoprovethattheuniversewasintelligently
designed?"http://t.co/iq7EyNKbgj

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RussAbbott 3daysago

Asyousaid,Newtoninventedthecalculusinordertoexplainthe
phenomenahesaw.Inotherwords,mathematicsissimplyawayto
expressregularities.Thequestionmaybewhythereareregularitiesinthe
universe.Butifoneassumesthatthereare,thenmathematicsissimplya
waytoexpressthemoncewestarttoseethem.It'slessamysterythan
thispostmakesit.
Putanotherway,ifweencounterandbegintorecognizearegularityfor
whichnomathematicsexists,weinventthemathematicsnecessaryto
formalizewhatwesee.It'snotthatmathematicsisindependentofthe
regularitieswewanttoexpress.It'sour(invented)languagesfor
expressingthem.

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MichaelKeating>RussAbbott 10hoursago

Iagree.Itisthedescriptionofrelationshipsbetweenobjectsor
phenomena.Certainratiosappearrepeatedlyinnaturebecause
therulesaffectallormostthingsequally.Thisseemsintuitiveto
me.Isitpossiblethatadifferentbasenumberingsystemcould
demystifyoruntanglecomplicatedequations?

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