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Dive into the fascinating world of mathematics with our captivating articles, written by passionate experts. Whether you are a curious amateur or a seasoned mathematician, our articles cover a wide range of topics, from fundamental concepts to the latest discoveries, including practical applications and philosophical reflections.
Singularities in general relativity
The year 1965 saw the first modern theorem on singularities in general relativity, due to Roger Penrose. This geometric result would have major implications for the origin of the universe and the collapse of massive stars.
A Nobel prize for black holes | Tangente
The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics honors black hole astronomy. Thanks to Roger Penrose, Andrea Ghez and Reinhard Genzel, general relativity has at last been recognized by the celebrated Swedish institution—something that, surprisingly, had rarely happened before!
Dazzling Penrose tilings
Sir Roger Penrose is renowned for his remarkable and foundational work in geometry and cosmology, and for the applications of that work to black holes. It is puzzling, however, that he is famous to the general public for the tiling that bears his name, with its many remarkable properties.
An extraordinary scientist | Tangente
How did a pure mathematician trained at Cambridge come to win the Nobel Prize in Physics at the age of 89? This is the remarkable story of an extraordinary scientist who realized that his work in topology could help shed light on black holes.
Promoting reliable science communication | Tangente
Since 1968, the French Association for Scientific Information (AFIS) has published the quarterly magazine Science et Pseudo-Sciences. Its aims are to promote science and combat those who invoke its name as a cover for quackery.
Brainstorming and hackathons | Tangente
More heads are better than one. This principle underpins brainstorming and hackathons—intensive computer-programming events—both widely used in data science.
Squares in art | Tangente
Several artists have taken an interest in the square in order to explore its geometry
Meet Fabien Durand, president of the SMF | Tangente
At the end of last June, the Société mathématique de France (SMF) elected mathematician Fabien Durand as its new president. He enthusiastically agreed to speak with the editorial team at Tangente.
Vaughan Jones, the knot magician
The mathematician Vaughan Jones, who died on September 6, 2020, profoundly influenced several areas of mathematics, including topology and functional analysis, as well as physics, particularly quantum theory. His name remains associated with powerful invariants in knot theory.
Three unsolved problems in geometry | Tangente
Geometry abounds in problems that remain unsolved. Some date back to the Renaissance! In tribute to Richard Kenneth Guy (1916–2020), here are three, gleaned from his book Unsolved Problems in Geometry (with Hallard Croft and Kenneth John Falconer, Springer, 1991).
2020 Tangente Awards winners | Tangente
Promoting the interdisciplinary role of mathematics, bringing it to the attention of young people—and the not so young—and fostering creativity: these core Tangente goals find expression in the Tangente Trophies, whose 2020 winners are presented here.
Writing a Wikipedia article—why not… | Tangente
Whenever people have a question or want to check a concept, Wikipedia has become the first port of call for many. But who writes these articles? Can they be trusted? Above all, how can you write one yourself?
Proof desperately wanted | Tangente
One hundred thousand results are stated worldwide each year—but how many of them are proved? In number theory, for example, many problems remain unsolved. Some are well known to enthusiasts, others less so...
Lean: a new library of Alexandria | Tangente
Building a digital repository of mathematics—a new "Library of Alexandria for mathematics"—is the wildly ambitious collaborative undertaking on which many mathematicians have embarked.
Toward new practices | Tangente
Mathematical research and teaching increasingly rely on software that supports collaboration. As this software grows more complex, its development requires large-scale collaboration.
In publishing, they come in pairs | Tangente
The 20th century left us some striking examples of editorial partnerships in mathematics education.
Famous partnerships in research | Tangente
Compound theorem names offer a clue as to which pair of mathematicians worked on the subject... or perhaps not.
"Winter is coming" | Tangente
In France, the annual influenza epidemic generally occurs between November and April. Timing therefore appears crucial to understanding how the influenza virus spreads: this pathogen has a period during which it is transmitted more readily through the population.
Penrose takes center stage to kick off 2021 | Tangente
To mark the award of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics to Sir Roger Penrose—a mathematician well known for his work in cosmology, differential geometry, tilings and science communication—Tangente is shaking up its schedule!
The 2021 mathematical calendar is here! | Tangente
In 2021, the mathematical calendar explores the solar system!