The beauty and utility of the most
famous mathematical equations
In science you try to tell
people, in a way that everyone can understand, something that nobody ever knew
before. Poetry is exactly the opposite. (Paul Dirac, Nobel Prize in Physics,
1933)
For many,
equations are just meaningless symbols; for mathematicians they are elegant,
beautiful and powerful formulas. The equations in the following list, in
addition to formal beauty, had an impact on many branches of science and
technology. The apparent simplicity and power can be compared to the button
that fires a rocket. In mathematics, you have to know the theory and history to
know how much work of brilliant minds led to that expression. When you press
the button that triggers the rocket, you have to imagine the work of scientists
and brilliant professionals who built the rocket. Mathematicians who went down
in history and are authors of famous equations actually created authentic works
of art.
An equation
that is not in the list is the Dirac equation. British physicist Paul Dirac was
a British electrical engineer, mathematician and physicist who contributed to
the development of quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics. Dirac
connected two important physical concepts: quantum mechanics (behavior of
objects on a very small scale) and Einstein's special theory of relativity
(analysis of objects moving at high speed). The Dirac equation describes how
electrons and other particles behave when they move at speeds close to light.
Elegant and simple, this formula facilitated development in theoretical
physics. "It's a very powerful equation for what it means and its role in
the history of 20th century physics."
Why the
admiration for these simple mathematical expressions? Mathematics and
Philosophy seek ways to find simple solutions to complex problems using new
methods combined with old techniques.
When
Dirac visited the USSR, he was invited to a conference in philosophy of
physics. Dirac wrote only on the chalkboard: "Physical laws must have the
simplicity and beauty of mathematics." That was his doctrine.
References
Paul Dirac
Las
ecuaciones más bellas de la historia de las matemáticas, R. PÉREZ, 12.03.2016 –https://www.elconfidencial.com/tecnologia/2016-03-12/las-diez-ecuaciones-mas-bellas-de-la-historia-de-las-matematicas_1167436/
¿Cuál es
la ecuación matemática más hermosa del mundo? Melissa Hogenboom, BBC Earth
25 enero
2016
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