BERTRAND HAUCHECORNE
179 articles published in Tangente
CuriositySep 18, 2019A dive into a strange world of numbers
At the beginning of the 20th century, the German mathematician Kurt Hensel "invented" new numbers, written with infinitely many digits, as in the decimal system, but based on a very different notion of proximity. This curious theory proved very fruitful in arithmetic!
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History and CultureN°189Jul 13, 2019Mathematical controversy
The word "duality" comes from the Late Latin dualitas, which had displaced the classical term duales, used to describe something associated with two (duo in Cicero's Latin).
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History and CultureN°189Jul 13, 2019Partner-swapping in geometry
Duality has appeared in many branches of mathematics, from the Platonic solids of antiquity onward. It came into its own in projective geometry in the early 19th century, emerged soon afterward in logic with George Boole and Augustus De Morgan, and later flourished in linear algebra.
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N°71Jul 09, 2019Do mathematicians and physicists speak the same language?
Every term, however abstract, conjures up a mental image. That image is shaped by a combination of influences—sometimes by our first encounter with the word, or by the way we commonly use it.
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Math for everyoneN°188May 14, 2019An invariant under central projection
The need to model visual perception gave rise to a new geometry. Renaissance painters felt compelled to study it closely in order to depict depth. Lengths, angles: nothing seemed to be preserved, apart from a curious relation linking four collinear points…
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Maths and artN°70Apr 11, 2019Vladimir Shukhov, Russia's Gustave Eiffel
A mathematician by training, Vladimir Shukhov was one of the leading figures in Russian architecture from 1890 to 1930 and was strongly influenced by Constructivism. His building designs made him a forerunner of contemporary architecture.
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Everyday MathN°70Apr 11, 2019A new unit of area: the football pitch!
In recent years, a new unit for measuring area has emerged. Let's see how to convert between units.
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History and CultureN°187Mar 26, 2019François Viète's zetetics
Henri Broch revived the word "zetetics." Long before him, François Viète (1540–1603) had already used it in a slightly different sense.
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Math for everyoneN°187Mar 26, 2019Maths Night 2019
For its fifth edition, the Maths Night festival, held in the Loire Valley, will feature talks, shows, exhibitions and films, all with plenty of humor and conviviality.
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History and CultureN°187Mar 26, 2019Félix and the pursuit of happiness
Sculptor, architect, engineer, mathematician? No doubt all of the above! Gérard Chamayou, known as Félix, was one of those who refused to accept barriers between disciplines, and his gift was to move among them with a provocative yet deeply humane spirit.
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Math for everyoneN°187Mar 25, 2019Family reunion
Some geometric figures are a delight to behold: a host of skilfully arranged lines, intertwined with a graceful curve that seems barely to touch each one. What mathematical theory lies behind them? The theory of envelopes of lines.
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History and CultureN°186Jan 22, 2019Mathematics dictates the harmony of the world
Beginning with painting, Leonardo da Vinci developed a vision of world harmony governed by mathematics.
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