The Rossio in Lisbon is a typical example of a square paved in a complex symmetrical pattern. (Photograph: Joćo Ferrand / Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation)
The Rossio in Lisbon is a typical example of a square paved in a complex symmetrical pattern. (Photograph: Joćo Ferrand / Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation) - At its heart, is mathematics an aesthetic discipline? Or what does it mean if someone finds a proof -beautiful- And what does mathematical beauty say about physical connections? To this day, mathematics includes beautiful facts that are also familiar to us in everyday life. The golden ratio, for example, has been revered since antiquity as representing the most aesthetically pleasing proportions. Some mathematicians claim that mathematical discoveries would be virtually impossible without an aesthetic sense. -Beauty certainly touches mathematicians- souls,- says Ana Cannas da Silva, ETH Professor for Mathematics, whose main field of research is geometry. For her, mathematical and aesthetic curiosity go hand in hand. In Portugal, for example, pavements are often laid in complex symmetrical patterns which visualise mathematical phenomena.
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