Week 2 Blog 2

Growing up, I only ever viewed math through the lens of how it was taught throughout school and limited myself to fully understanding math's true importance. During these weeks of lectures and readings, I was able to grasp how math is intertwined and also influences the arts and sciences of this universe. In Edwin A. Abbott’s Flatland, he uses geometrical concepts to tell a story about how an entire society can be shaped by their own limited perception: “Nothing was visible, nor could be visible, to us, except Straight Lines.” (Abbott). This quote made me reflect on how, in our own world, we are also restricted to how we view this world, all based on the knowledge that we currently have. 


How Isaac Newton Changed the World with ...

https://www.mathtutordvd.com/public/How-Isaac-Newton-Changed-the-World-with-the-Invention-of-Calculus.cfm


Furthermore, mathematics is a tool that has been used across time as the universal language of the world. Throughout time, many languages have been spoken, but mathematics is the one constant throughout all time. Isaac Newton is the first who comes to mind, as he discovered that with calculus, he was able to understand how planets moved and why they orbited (Isaac Newton’s Work on Calculus)


Leonardo da Vinci: Vitruvian Man

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Vitruvian-man

In addition, Leonardo Da Vinci utilized mathematical ratios to construct his piece of art, the Vitruvian Man, as one would describe it as “ Leonardo sees in geometry the precision through which he can construct unique compositions in perfect harmony within its setting” (Leonardo and Mathematics). Additionally, the importance of math is also shown within the human psyche and our decision making, as in the film “A Beautiful Mind,” would tells a story about famous mathematician John Nash, would discovered an essential concept in the science of decision making called a “Nash Equilibrium.” “A Nash equilibrium is defined as a strategy combination with the property that every player's strategy is a best reply to the other players' strategies." (Nash). 



https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-nash-equilibrium-example-beautiful-mind-incorrect-carlos/


Galileo Galilei, an astronomer who utilized mathematics to help accurately observe and illustrate sketches of the moon, “Galileo’s understanding of how chiaroscuro worked also could help him realize that the forms he observed through the telescope were craters and mountains, forming the moon’s texture.” (Bryll)


Sources:


Bryll, Marta Wiktoria. “How Galileo Galilei Changed the Moon Forever.” DailyArt Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024, https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/galileo-galilei-moon/.


“Isaac Newton’s Work on Calculus – De analysi (1711).” Unbound: Special Collections and University Archives Blog, University of Oregon, 4 Feb. 2019, https://blogs.uoregon.edu/scua/2019/02/04/isaac-newtons-work-on-calculus-de-analysi-1711/.


“Leonardo and Mathematics in His Paintings.” The Mona Lisa Foundation, 12 Sept. 2012, https://monalisa.org/2012/09/12/leonardo-and-mathematics-in-his-paintings/.


Nash, John F., Jr. “The Work of John Nash in Game Theory.” NobelPrize.org, Nobel Prize Outreach AB, 1994, https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2017/05/nash-lecture.pdf.


Abbott, Edwin A. Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. 1884. PDF file.

Comments

  1. Mark SchrollerApril 13, 2025 at 4:30 PM

    Hello Steven, I enjoyed reading your blog this week. I think that the importance of math is often overlooked and you almost don't realize that it's used in almost everything that you see. I never thought about how mathematics is a universal language. I thought Flatland was a pretty interesting novel because of the way it proposed the possibility of a fourth dimension that we d not know of.

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  2. JayApril 13, 2025 at 9:55 PM

    Hey Steven! I really enjoyed your blog this week. I think the takeaway from Flatland was pretty mind-boggling — we truly have no idea what exists beyond our perceptive capabilities, which is cool and daunting at the same time. I also really appreciated that you incorporated Nash's game theory into your blog for this week. You're right that the human psyche and math are heavily intertwined, but I think it's also interesting to note that we're discussing this through the lens of a film, further blurring the lines between math and art. Super interesting!

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