Tag Archive for: mathematics

Why Vector Spaces Explain The World: A Historical Perspective
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The Concept
A vector space is an additively written abelian group together with a field that operates on it.
Vector spaces are often described as a set…

Views On Complex Numbers
Abstract
Why do we need yet another article about complex numbers? This is a valid question and I have asked it myself. I could mention that I wanted…

The Lambert W Function in Finance
Preamble
The classical mathematician practically by instinct views the continuous process as the "real" process, and the discrete process as an approximation…

Why Division by Zero is a Bad Idea
A division by zero is primarily an algebraic question. The reasoning therefore follows the indirect pattern of most algebraic proofs:
What if it was allowed?
Then…

Epsilontic – Limits and Continuity
Abstract
I remember that I had some difficulties moving from school mathematics to university mathematics. From what I read on PF through the years, I…

Differential Equation Systems and Nature
Abstract
"Mathematics is the native language of nature." is a phrase that is often used when it comes to explaining why mathematics is all around in natural…

Beginners Guide to Precalculus, Calculus and Infinitesimals
Introduction
I am convinced students learn Calculus far too late. In my view, there has never been a good reason for this.In the US, they go through…

What Are Numbers?
Introduction
When doing mathematics, we usually take for granted what natural numbers, integers, and rationals are. They are pretty intuitive. Going…

Classification of Mathematics by 42 Branches
I often read questions about our classification scheme that we use on physicsforums.com to sort posts by science fields and subjects, what has…

Évariste Galois and His Theory
* Oct. 25th, 1811 † May 31st, 1832
... or why squaring the circle is doomed.
Galois died in a duel at the age of twenty. Yet, he gave…

The History and Importance of the Riemann Hypothesis
Riemann Hypothesis History
The Riemann Hypothesis is one of the most famous and long-standing unsolved problems in mathematics, specifically in the field…

The Extended Riemann Hypothesis and Ramanujan’s Sum
Riemann Hypothesis and Ramanujan's Sum ExplanationRH: All non-trivial zeros of the Riemannian zeta-function lie on the critical line.
ERH: All…

The Amazing Relationship Between Integration And Euler’s Number
We use integration to measure lengths, areas, or volumes. This is a geometrical interpretation, but we want to examine an analytical interpretation that…

The Analytic Continuation of the Lerch and the Zeta Functions
Introduction
In this brief Insight article the analytic continuations of the Lerch Transcendent and Riemann Zeta Functions are achieved via the Euler's…

The Orin Fractional Calculus
Introduction
This bit is what new thing you can learn reading this:) As for original content, I only have hope that the method of using the sets
$$C_N^n:…

SOHCAHTOA: Seemingly Simple, Conceivably Complex
What is SOHCAHTOA
SOHCAHTOA is a mnemonic acronym used in trigonometry to remember the relationships between the sides and angles of right triangles.…

How to Find a Potential Function of a Vector Field
Definition and summary
Given a vector field ##\vec F(x,y,z)## that has a potential function, how do you find it?
Conditions and equations
$$\nabla \phi(x,y,z)…

First-Order Linear Equation: Definition & Solutions
Definition / Summary
This article summarizes the first-order (linear) polynomial equation in one variable, its solution, and natural extensions to matrices…

Significant Figures: Rounding Rules & Examples for Science
Definition / Summary
Significant figures (commonly called "sig figs") are the digits in a number that are considered when rounding a value to reflect…

How to Write a Math Proof and Their Structure
Proofs in mathematics are what mathematics is all about. They are subject to entire books, created entire theories like Fermat's last theorem, are hard…

Fibre Bundle: Definition, Examples & Intuitive Guide
Definition / Summary
Fibre bundle — intuitively, a fibre bundle is a space E that locally looks like a product B × F but may have a different global…

Real Numbers: Definition, Properties & Axioms — Explained
Definition of real numbers
Real numbers are the set of all values that can appear on the continuous number line. They include rational numbers (fractions…

Parabola: Definition, Equations & Applications — 5-Min Guide
What is a Parabola?
A parabola is a U-shaped curve that appears frequently in mathematics, physics and engineering. It is a conic section defined by a…

Limits of Functions for Calculus: Definition & Examples
What is a limit?
In mathematics, a limit describes the behavior of a function or sequence as its input approaches a particular value. Limits are a cornerstone…

Tangent to a Curve: Definition, Equations & Examples
Definition / Summary
The tangent to a curve in a plane at a particular point has the same gradient as the curve at that point.More generally, the…

Learn Lie Algebras: A Walkthrough – The Representations
Part III: Representations
Sums and Products.
Frobenius began in ##1896## to generalize Weber's group characters and soon investigated…

Learn Lie Algebras: A Walkthrough – The Structures
Part II: StructuresDecompositions.Lie algebra theory is to a large extend the classification of the semisimple Lie algebras which…

Learn Lie Algebras: A Walkthrough – The Basics
Part I: Basics
Introduction.
This article is meant to provide a quick reference guide to Lie algebras: the terminology, important theorems,…

Intuitive Black‑Scholes Options Pricing Explained Simply
Introduction
Financial options — the right to purchase (call) or sell (put) stock or other assets at a fixed price on a future date — have been around…

Abstract Algebra Self-Study Roadmap: Groups to Galois
There are three major areas of mathematics: geometry, analysis, and algebra. This insight gives a roadmap for learning basic abstract algebra for self-study,…

Ramsey Theory: Foundations, Generalizations, Key Results
Ramsey theory has its origins in a very nice riddle
Consider a party of 6 people. Any two of these six will either be meeting each other for the first…

Advanced Analysis Study Guide: Measure & Functional
If you wish to follow this guide, you should be familiar with analysis on ##\mathbb{R}## and ##\mathbb{R}^n##. See my previous insight for the list of…

Intro to the Millennium Prize Problems
IntroductionIn this Insight, I will go over the background information for the Millennium Prize problems and briefly describe three of them. A future…

Set-Theoretic Foundations of Numbers and Functions
Set-Theoretic Foundations of Mathematics
It is important to realize that in standard mathematics we attempt to characterize everything in terms of sets.…

Learn About Matrix Representations of Linear Transformations
Let X and Y be finite-dimensional vector spaces. Let ##T:X\to Y## be a linear transformation. Let ##A=(e_1,\dots,e_n)## and ##B=(f_1,\dots,f_m)## be ordered…

Why 1 Equals 0.999… — Explanations & Rigorous Proofs
Why do people say 1 and 0.999... are equal? Aren't they two different numbers?
No — 1 and 0.999... really are the same number, although that can feel…

Rigorous Proof: Why 0.999… Equals 1 (Geometric Series)
Yes.
What 0.999... Means
First, we have not addressed what 0.999... means. So it is best to first describe what the notation [tex]b_0.b_1b_2b_3...[/tex]…

Understanding Zero: History, Division, Exponents, 0!
The goal of this FAQ is to clarify the concept of 0, and specifically the operations that are allowed with it.The best way to start this FAQ is to…

Overcoming Challenges of Self-Studying Number Theory
Introduction
During my summer break I spent several hours each day self-studying mathematics—primarily number theory—even though I had no prior experience…
