People Working Out Math Constitutes

¶ … people working out math constitutes a scientific exercise. Racking their brains on theorems, axioms, lemmas and propositions, math is means to an end, a set of procedures which can be used to make an analysis of the events happening in the natural world. Therefore math is viewed as a practical discipline, interesting to the point of its usefulness. Interestingly, on the other hand, several mathematicians view math from an altogether different angle. In their opinion, math can be beautiful in its various forms and structures to discover patterns, instances of symmetry as well as harmony. From the apparent artistic exquisiteness in lattices and fractals to thoughtful and fine patterns in the distribution of prime numbers, mathematics is beautiful to the sensitive eye. Therefore, math has been a motivation to artistes of all hues. ("Project 2: Formulas and Form, Mathematics and Poetry," 2008)

To consider an example, several of the Renaissance's best artists were counted among the era's best mathematicians and lot of Bach's best contribution have their footing on the simple mathematical formulas. On the other hand, mathematics has knowledgeable writers also. One can go through the contribution of Katherine Strange, or the Franco-Italian combine Oulipo, or the typical work done by Hermann Hesse to get a feel that math can contribute in a significant way in the literary process. There are a lot of poems whose form is mathematical. Somebody's work could be based on the digits in the number 'pi' or a pattern in the prime numbers or the Fibonacci sequence or the Golden ratio. Besides, in some poems, the content is mathematical, one may write regarding a specific function or a mathematical idea. Somebody could write a poem that could be more personal; you could apply it to discover an experience one had while studying, learning, or unraveling math. ("Project 2: Formulas and Form, Mathematics and Poetry," 2008)

Relationship between Math and Poetry:

Math and Poetry are closely related to each other. Poetry, akin to math can be discovered nearly everywhere. Most significantly, in the opinion of authors, math in the first place must be existent in the mind of people. The same thing is applicable in case of poetry, since math and poetry are an outcome of an intellectual venture. Very similar to math, poetry can be downright simple and yet in some cases can be very subtle making it difficult in understanding. Individuals might sometimes take both math and poetry as inconsequential, but can in the actual world be very important. The two are interesting, bewildering, and full of life and evolving as well. The most interesting commonality between the two is the minimal use of sophisticated implements. Mathematics can be worked out with the most minimum instruments for instance with some sand and maybe some amount of brain power. Judging from the same angle in order to be a poet it does not need too much just a great deal of imagination. Indeed, math and poet have some use for pen as well as paper. Some of the mathematicians even acclaim that it can even be performed in a dark enclosure by a lonely individual exploiting the resources of a bright platonic intellect. Poets invariably also create their work of art under identical conditions of loneliness. (Viado, n. d.)

It is important to note that math and poetry demand identical matters such as persistence, restraint and organization from the people who practice both. Besides, new math is being created at a continually escalating rate. The same holds true regarding poetry with the circulation of creative writing programs in universities and colleges with new work being done in poetry reaching a far broader audience compared to earlier. Eventually the most important method to understand math and poetry is experiencing it through reading, studying, pondering over it, dreaming and learning, remembering, and musing it, making discussions, putting questions, enjoying it and loving it. It is a fact that, the more experience one has with math and poetry, the greater one is able to develop one's own concepts and definitions of what math is all about and as a matter of fact also what poetry contains. One's understanding will also be deeper and the appreciation al higher. Metaphorically, math like poetry is an organic organism which is all the time evolving and will always be present for people. (Viado, n. d.)

Objective Relationship between Math and Poetry:

The correlation between rhyme in poetry and derivation requires looking at the same closely since it offers a key to the more general relation between poetry and math. Both rhyme as well as derivation shares the same combination of difference and identity since they show two entities, apparently distinct, are at some level identical. In both the cases, this can be performed as the entities, to begin with, subsist at two distinct levels the sign and the signified. Thus it is shown that two signs/signified combinations are same in one respect while different in another. It is important to note that rhyme in poetry and derivation are therefore similar, but they are also different or more accurately play complementary roles. Rhyme functions by having to signs/signified combinations which are similar as signs and dissimilar as signifieds; derivation works by having two sign/signified combinations which are identical as signified and dissimilar as signs. (Mancosu; Jorgensen; Andur, 2005)

For instance considering the following sequence:

"Rhyme:

sign (signified1, signified2 ("shelf" / "self")

Derivation:

sign1, sign2 ( signified

(similarity / proportion)" (Mancosu; Jorgensen; Andur, 2005)

From the above example two sides of a mathematical derivation are very dissimilar in form; they approach each other at the level of content. In a complementary fashion, the two rhyming words are very dissimilar in meaning; they approach each other at the level of form. The mathematical relationship is grounded in meaning, proclaims the meaning; the poetic relationship is anchored in form, marks the form. Hence it can inferred from this that mathematics and poetry both make use of the binary nature of sign/signed relationship, in order to combine identity and difference; in math, the identity is at the "signified" level, in poetry, it is at the "sign" level. The patterns of identity and difference are similar but complementary to each other. To the extent they are similar- just as patterns of identity and difference-they both give a pleasant artistic relationship. But to the extent as they are complementary- in the distinct levels they place their mark- they tend to have very distinct effects. (Mancosu; Jorgensen; Andur, 2005)

It is sometimes said that a poet must study math because poetry and math eventually come from the same source. Besides, the very concept of prophesy itself that stimulated a lot of mathematical writings, shares an intimate relationship with poetry. The origins of prophetic utterances lie also at the basis of poetry's origins. For instance the mathematical calculation on which the legendry Khlebnikov was engaged was a constituent of a prophetic vision of universal harmony, which was, for Khlebnikov, as aesthetically based as it was scientifically founded. (Cook, 1987)

Some Practical Applications by People around the World:

Considering the study of math and applying the same to poetry, a lawyer of France named Francois Viete had made a discovery that the abstract nature of higher algebra is dependent on its symbolic language. It has also been found that symbolic language is also applicable to poetry writing. Sometimes while penning a poem, feelings and thoughts are not articulated explicitly, but rather in an implicit manner. It is observed that poets are inclined to make applications of using symbols or abstract descriptions in order to portray what they visualize, what they perceive, and what is their thinking. In terms of math also, symbolic language indicate the use of letters or so called variables in order to represent numbers. The similarity on this plane reveals that math as well as poetry shares the same notation of symbolic usage. Often with symbolic usage, it generates the real concept of a poem, or the real theory of a math problem difficult to comprehend in the first place in case the person who reads does not have an idea of what the symbol indicates. (Math; Ly, 2002)

Nevertheless, in case one is capable to making a link between the real concept and the symbolic representation, it becomes easily intelligible. Like math poetry also follows a pattern just like the Fibonacci series. Pattern renders a poem to be more stylish as well as interesting. Patterns in poetry comprises of creating each verse in the poem to have the same number of syllables. Alternatively, patterns in poetry might consist of making each end word in a poem to rhyme with the following verse. Therefore, some poems bring about symmetry in its verses. Akin to that when speaking of mathematics, an apparent pattern that strikes the mind is the geometric series. Especially, when considering 'the Fibonacci sequence' where '1,1,2,3,4,8' are just patterns determined by adding the previous numbers of the sequence to arrive at the following number. (Math; Ly, 2002)