My new favourite magazine is Focus. It answers all the sort of questions that I like to ask, such as, Can you cry underwater? Why do clouds float? All them sort of really important life questions that we all have. This month I accidentally skimmed over an article about the Riemann hypothesis. Please don't ask me what this is as I don't know. All I know is that it involves numbers and Maths, both of which I don't like.
The article gave a definition of a complex number. Now I know what a prime number is but a complex number is a little more, well a little more complex really. It is a hybrid number consisting of an ordianry number, (known as the 'real' part) and a second number that is a multiple of the square root of -1 (known as the 'imaginary' part). Maybe it's just my maths phobia but I think square rooting an all that is bad enough without claiming that one part of a number is imaginary. How's anyone supposed to get their head's round that?
It reminds me of a freind that told me about one of his lectures in maths. The lecturer stood up and wrote an extremely long, convoluted equation up on the board. Something like:
X=Y2 - MC4 * Y= Z3 / X4 + XY3
and this means that God doesn't actually exist.
All the students, including my friend, looked on in in silence, dumbfounded. Until one lad shouted out another, equally long equation and said,
'Ah, but that proves that God does actually exist'
Who am I to argue with mathematicians who can prove such things with numbers.
3 comments:
Riemannian maths isn't that bad, truth be told.
Complex numbers *aren't* hybrids.
One of the most beautiful things is an equation I used as a title the other day. e (the natural log) to the power of i pi equals -1. Nature just *rocks*
Numbers have little to do with maths, all things said.
You should try some laymen maths books, showing the beauty, intricacy and joy that you can find therein. When I am over in a few weeks, come to the pub (again) and I will expound further. (And nudge your mother to answer her mail.)
But you are good with numbers Stray Taoist.
I do challenge you to make me see the beauty and intricacy and joy in them. I don't want to be scared of numbers and feel that they are only there to control us. If there is beauty in anything I want to see it.
So I put it to you.
Aha! A challenge! I shall try...
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