a) What is beauty? (b) Why does beauty appear so often in mathematics and science? (c) Should mathematicans?

Question

and scientists try to understand beauty better, in order to understand their subjects better?

Answer 1

That goes back to the eternal question: Is beauty something intrinsic or is it in the eye of the beholder. Symmetry is both mathematical and scientific in nature and most find beauty in symmetry. But in reality it's the tiny flaws inside the symmetry that make something beautiful.

So my answers are:
a) Beauty is imperfection within symmetry
b) Because symmetry is the essence of math & science
c) Yes

Answer 2

Beauty would be that which is pleasing to the sences: we perceive an object as being uniquely pleasurable with respect to the sence that perceives it i.e. smell, taste, touch, sound, sight and mental obects.

In science, beauty relates to how a particular theorum or equasion fits with established knowledge. Ideas that 'fit' well or even perfectly can be called beautiful. Also it applies to ideas/theories/equasions of particular simplicity, which have had significant impact on established knowledge.

Beauty as an idea in science, belies the notion that the laws of science are mans' endeavour to encapsulate nature. Science is an artificial extention of what has always been there within nature. Therefore 'beauty' can be a way of describing how science (using math) can perfectly encapsulate nature.

Answer 3

the pineal gland is a very important part of the brain
it influances the pituatry gland and endocrine system very strongly- or in otherwords emotions

according to literature i have read, and funnily enough, also a tradition known as vedic mathematics-(indian maths system)
the pineal gland is responsible for intuitive pattern finding

when you recognise patterns in nature-(beauty) there is thus an emotional reflection in the body, becuase the pineal is stimulated
the attention is grabbed and the brainwave activity is stilled to an extent

in mathematics these patterns are mapped

funnily enough there is very strong evidence to suggest that the pineal gland is essential in bridging the human bio-energy feild and the brain, this is interesting because the dynamics of the bio-energy field are best analysed by fractual mathematics
the same mathematics present in natural systems the world over

this is a developing area of science, with leaders in the feild such as Dr valerie hunt having studied these ideas for over thirty years



c) im not sure if scientists and mathemeticians should try to understand beauty better, in order to understand thier subjects

i feel that this is a philisophical issue of importance and that beauty and the understandings of it should in some ways be a part of our underpinning views of life and reality

this contention is very old and im certainly not the first to come up with it, as i understand it it is an ongoing debate since religion began and certainly since greek philosophers started discussing arte -(though philosophy is not my forte)

but im sure they would all benefit from appreciating it more
its a pretty special part of life in my view

Answer 4

Beauty is a mental concept to explain the complexity but simplicity of God's/the collectives creation to the physical. Math and science were born out of philosophies explaining God's creation. Thus, it would be inevitable, that math and science would cross with beauty. Math and science are the studies of beauty, no not physical beauty, collective beauty. The beauty of the shapes and atmosphere in the world around us, this type of beauty is in art as well.

Answer 5

Scientists have an obsession with symmetry. This is what they call 'beauty'.

Equasions (maths/chemical etc) must balance.

Chinese philosophy says that there is no such things as symmetry, and that everything changes from one state to another.

I quite like the chinese approach.

Answer 6

Beauty maybe something that appears in consciousness.
When we are not thinking about ourselves.

Something takes us out of our mind noise for a second and we actually see.

Beauty is not in the word and its description.

Somethings defy reason and logic.

Beauty cannot be understood.

It can only be experienced, when the self is not.

Answer 7

Beauty is different for everyone. What I may find beautiful, the next person could find ugly. To quote a cliche: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

Answer 8

a) The coloured vibrance on wings of butterfly.
b)Because " 2+2 makes 4, " is about math and science.
c) Thinking mind matters in gravitating towards beauties of matter.

Answer 9

my definition of beauty:
Beauty is harmony and logical relation of all parts of an entity with each other,
and when we find this harmony in any subject in science, social science, or in nature, we admire this harmony and love it,
where as if this harmony is distorted, it offends our taste and we repel it, and say how ugly !!!

Answer 10

in maths beauty is a equasion of some feeling , it is somewhat arty in my opinion "it just is !" he sayed like a poem !