…as they search for beauty
At its heart, is mathematics an aesthetic discipline? Or what does it mean if someone finds a proof "beautiful"? And what does mathematical beauty say about physical connections?
To this day, mathematics includes beautiful facts that are also familiar to us in everyday life. The golden ratio, for example, has been revered since antiquity as representing the most aesthetically pleasing proportions. Some mathematicians claim that mathematical discoveries would be virtually impossible without an aesthetic sense. "Beauty certainly touches mathematicians’ souls," says Ana Cannas da Silva, ETH Professor for Mathematics, whose main field of research is geometry. For her, mathematical and aesthetic curiosity go hand in hand. In Portugal, for example, pavements are often laid in complex symmetrical patterns which visualise mathematical phenomena. She has also authored an illustrated book on this topic, entitled "Symmetry step by step".
When asked about the meaning of beauty in mathematics, the professor says it’s not just about the visuals, but also about language. She shares the view of the pioneer of modern physics, Galileo Galilei (1564 – 1642), that the universe is written in the language of mathematics.