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Touching the transcendentals: tractional motion from the bir th of calculus to future perspectives
When the rigorous foundation of calculus was developed, it marked an epochal change in the approach of mathematicians to geometry. Tools from geometry had been one of the foundations of mathematics until the 17th century but today, mainstream conception relegates geometry to be merely a tool of visualization. In this snapshot, however, we consider geometric and constructive components of calculus. We reinterpret “tractional motion”, a late 17th century method to draw transcendental curves, in order to reintroduce “ideal machines” in math foundation for a constructive approach to calculus that avoids the concept of infinity.
On Logic, Choices and Games
Can we always mathematically formalise our taste and preferences? We discuss how this has been done historically in the field of game theory, and how recent ideas from logic and computer science have brought an interesting twist to this beautiful theory.
Quantum symmetry
In mathematics, symmetry is usually captured using the formalism of groups. However, the developments of the past few decades revealed the need to go beyond groups: to “quantum groups”. We explain the passage from spaces to quantum spaces, from groups to quantum groups, and from symmetry to quantum symmetry, following an analytical approach.
News on quadratic polynomials
Many problems in mathematics have remained unsolved because of missing links between mathematical disciplines, such as algebra, geometry, analysis, or number theory. Here we introduce a recently discovered result concerning quadratic polynomials, which uses a bridge between algebra and analysis. We study the iterations of quadratic polynomials, obtained by computing the value of a polynomial for a given number and feeding the outcome into the exact same polynomial again. These iterations of polynomials have interesting applications, such as in fractal theory.
Aperiodic Order and Spectral Properties
Periodic structures like a typical tiled kitchen floor or the arrangement of carbon atoms in a diamond crystal certainly possess a high degree of order. But what is order without periodicity? In this snapshot, we are going to explore highly ordered structures that are substantially nonperiodic, or aperiodic. As we construct such structures, we will discover surprising connections to various branches of mathematics, materials science, and physics. Let us catch a glimpse into the inherent beauty of aperiodic order!
Expander graphs and where to find them
Graphs are mathematical objects composed of a collection of “dots” called vertices, some of which are joined by lines called edges. Graphs are ideal for visually representing relations between things, and mathematical properties of graphs can provide an insight into real-life phenomena. One interesting property is how connected a graph is, in the sense of how easy it is to move between the vertices along the edges. The topic dealt with here is the construction of particularly well-connected graphs, and whether or not such graphs can happily exist in worlds similar to ours.
Zopfgruppen, die Yang–Baxter-Gleichung und Unterfaktoren
Die Yang–Baxter-Gleichung ist eine faszinierende Gleichung, die in vielen Gebieten der Physik und der Mathematik auftritt und die am besten diagrammatisch dargestellt wird. Dieser Snapshot schlägt einen weiten Bogen vom Zöpfeflechten über die Yang–Baxter- Gleichung bis hin zur aktuellen Forschung zu Systemen von unendlichdimensionalen Algebren, die wir „Unterfaktoren“ nennen.