Is Math a Feature of the Universe or a Feature of Human Creation?

Main post link -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbNymweHW4E

In other words: is Math --> invented or discovered ? Well this question is more about the philosophy of math. I was inspired to ask this question after watching a video blog on Youtube tackling the same issue (link is available somewhere in this page). And I know Brilliant users, aside from being genius in math, they can share brilliant ideas for it.

Thanks.:)

Easy Math Editor

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Math	Appears as
Remember to wrap math in `$` ... `$` or `\[` ... `\]` to ensure proper formatting.
`2 \times 3`	$2 \times 3$
`2^{34}`	$2^{34}$
`a_{i-1}`	$a_{i-1}$
`\frac{2}{3}`	$\frac{2}{3}$
`\sqrt{2}`	$\sqrt{2}$
`\sum_{i=1}^3`	$\sum_{i=1}^3$
`\sin \theta`	$\sin \theta$
`\boxed{123}`	$\boxed{123}$

Comments

I think math is an human interpretation and just like the colors, smell and feelings... it is half invented and half discovered.

Objects do exist. An object itself carry the mathematical concept of unity, identity, etc.

So, our creative mind receives information from the universe and must understand it in some way. Naturally arises the logic and the numbers... we just give them a systematic form so we can explore them. This systematic, symbolic and organized structure which deals with natural and universal concepts is what we call math.

Well, that's my point of view :)

Victor Chaves - 8 years ago

I believe both. For once, the first axioms (e.g. Euclid's postulates) were derived from observation of nature. But after that since everything just follows from the axioms we can say that it is discovered.

I've always thought about this question. We try answering it with logic, which is math, so we are making statements about Math with Math!! I wonder if Godel has something to say about this...

Sebastian Garrido - 8 years ago

To me, Maths was neither invented nor discovered; it has simply always been around as part of nature, and later interpreted by humans to the Mathematical field that we know today.

Wee Xian Bin - 8 years ago

So interesting. I think that humans have invented certain conventions, such as 360 degrees in a circle and the standard base 10 number system. On the other hand, triangles exist in nature. If three branches happen to lay on the ground in a right angled triangle, its sides will follow the Pythagorean Theorem. Regardless of whether we even discovered the theorem, this is indeed a fact that will never change. We might attribute the phenomenon to Pythagoras, but it is actually quite natural. Great video.

Taylor Lau - 8 years ago

I think maths is discovered.It's already there we need the eyes to see it.

Harsa Mitra - 8 years ago

Math is a feature of human creation.It is invented by humans. Humans, with their extremely high ability are the ones which have transformed a useless thing into a usable one

Arnav Shringi - 8 years ago

Mathematically, to ask this question in a group of Humans doesn't make sense. Unfortunately we are unable to grasp what a Feature of the Universe is. Brilliant creators, please enlighten us.

Felipe Mattos - 8 years ago

I believe it is a way of giving meaning to various phenomenons which apparently seems meaningless.

Sohail Dasgupta - 8 years ago

In my humble opinion, it's more of us, humans, interpretating whatever it is that surrounds us in the past and the present that we live today. Back then, it is only a language of the unspoken truth and other stuff that the people before haven't spoke of. Today, it also dwells in our universe. We just have to look through the haystack and, only then, we shall find the truth ourselves.

Rusjonell Gerona - 8 years ago

Math	Appears as
Remember to wrap math in `\(` ... `\)` or `\[` ... `\]` to ensure proper formatting.
`2 \times 3`	$2 \times 3$
`2^{34}`	$2^{34}$
`a_{i-1}`	$a_{i-1}$
`\frac{2}{3}`	$\frac{2}{3}$
`\sqrt{2}`	$\sqrt{2}$
`\sum_{i=1}^3`	$\sum_{i=1}^3$
`\sin \theta`	$\sin \theta$
`\boxed{123}`	$\boxed{123}$