Submitted by Antonia Mey on
In this snapshot, we explore connections between the mathematical areas of counting and geometry by studying objects called simplicial complexes. We begin by exploring many familiar objects in our three dimensional world and then discuss the ways one may generalize these ideas into higher dimensions.
Submitted by IMAGINARY on
The Willmore problem studies which torus has the least amount of bending energy. We explain how to think of a torus as a donut-shaped surface and how the intuitive notion of bending has been studied by mathematics over time.
Submitted by IMAGINARY on
This snapshot introduces the notion of commensurability of polyhedra. At its bottom, this concept can be developed from constructions with paper, scissors, and glue. Starting with an elementary example, we formalize it subsequently. Finally, we discuss intrigu- ing connections with other fields of mathematics.
Submitted by IMAGINARY on
Wie würdest du Tennisbälle oder Orangen stapeln? Oder allgemeiner formuliert: Wie dicht lassen sich identische 3-dimensionale Objekte überschneidungsfrei anordnen? Das Problem, welches auch Anwendungen in der digitalen Kommunikation hat, hört sich einfach an, ist jedoch für Kugeln in höheren Dimensionen noch immer ungelöst. Sogar die Berechnung guter Näherungslösungen ist für die meisten Di- mensionen schwierig.
Submitted by IMAGINARY on
An operad is an abstract mathematical tool encoding operations on specific mathematical structures. It finds applications in many areas of mathematics and related fields. This snapshot explains the concept of an operad and of an algebra over an operad, with a view towards a conjecture formulated by the mathematician Pierre Deligne. Deligne’s (by now proven) conjecture also gives deep inights into mathematical physics.
Submitted by Antonia Mey on
Anlässlich des internationalen Jahres der Kristallografie wurde ein Artikel aus dem Italienischen ins Deutsche für IMAGINARY übersetzt. Es geht um verschiedene Kristallstrukturen und wie man ursprünglich auf Kristallstrukturen gestoßen ist.
Der orginal Artikel ist in der Zeitschrift XlaTangente am 1. Oktober 2014 verköffentlicht worden. Hier, geht es zum Orginal.
Submitted by Bianca Violet on
What are the similarities of the mineral pyrite, the dodecahedron as the fifth Platonic solid, and a polynomial of degree 16? This paper explores this connection by using the free software SURFER of the IMAGINARY open mathematics platform, which leads to fascinating pictures displaying transformations from a cube to a dodecahedron, to a rhombic dodecahedron, and to an octahedron, using a single formula. A survey on the ideas and the mathematics behind these visualizations is given.
Submitted by IMAGINARY on
Humans have been fascinated by crystals for a long time. Its regular geometry, its special symmetry, but also its diversity in colours surprise and please us. In this article, an overview of the connection between crystals and mathematics is given. It is a contribution to the International Year of Crystallography 2014.
Submitted by IMAGINARY on
Cet instantané traite de la symétrie zéro-dimensionnelle. Grâce à des découvertes récentes, nous comprenons mieux ces symétries que ce qui était auparavant cru possible. Bien qu’encore très incomplète, une vision de la symétrie zéro-dimensionnelle commence à émerger.
Submitted by IMAGINARY on
Les solides de Platon, Felix Klein, H. S. M. Coxeter et un battement de queue d’aronde: les cinq solides de Platon (le tétraèdre, le cube, l’octaèdre, icosaèdre et le dodécaèdre) ont toujours attisé la curiosité des mathématiciens, pas seulement à cause pure beauté, mais aussi à cause de leurs nombreuses propriétés de symétrie. Dans cet instantané, nous partirons de ces symétries, irons vers les groupes et les singularités pour finalement trouver le lien entre le tétraèdre et la queue d’aronde.