Math for everyone
Mathematical content accessible to everyone
A tribute to Jacqueline Ferrand | Tangente
In November 2023, a room named after Jacqueline Ferrand opened in the mathematics and computer science library at ENS Ulm.
La saga des maths: a France Inter podcast | Tangente
A historical approach to mathematics in the new podcast "La saga des maths".
Rediscovered manuscripts… or not! | Tangente
In early February, Türkiye Today announced the discovery of lost manuscripts by Apollonius: Books V and VII, hitherto unknown and now rediscovered in an Arabic translation.
Giuseppe Peano and formalism | Tangente
The Italian mathematician Giuseppe Peano made major contributions to logical formalism by developing a symbolism for transcribing ordinary mathematical language. He also contributed to mathematical formalism by constructing systems of axioms for various fields.
A panorama of set theory | Tangente
Work on the notion of infinity led to paradoxes. This forced mathematicians to formalize set theory. Progressive axiomatization led to the current ZFC system, which nonetheless remains subject to various shortcomings following the work of Kurt Gödel and Paul Cohen.
Martin Gardner's literary work | Tangente
Martin Gardner left behind, in literature and literary criticism, a rich, profoundly original body of work that, unfortunately, remains little known in its entirety. This article offers an overview.
Toward modern skepticism with Gardner | Tangente
Martin Gardner wrote extensively about science and its validity. He is thus recognized as one of the founders of modern skepticism, an important philosophy of science to bring to the fore in this age of post-truth.
Martin Gardner, mathematical influencer | Tangente
While it is true that Martin Gardner never took a mathematics course at university, he spent his life studying the subject through his work as a journalist, ultimately receiving numerous honors from the mathematical community.
Four mathemagic tricks
Martin Gardner knew how to blend magic and logic to captivate his readers. A tireless seeker of magic tricks, he explored the "27-card trick" in particular, and created many others besides.
Martin Gardner: Itinerary of a genius | Tangente
Although he is known for his recreational mathematics and his work as a popularizer, Martin Gardner strangely never pursued a course of study in the discipline. Here are the surprising stages of his unusual path.
Thābit and the Pythagorean theorem
In Sur la preuve attribuée à Socrate au sujet du carré et de sa diagonale (On the Proof Attributed to Socrates Concerning the Square and Its Diagonal), Thābit ibn Qurra examines how squares can be dissected, taking as his starting point the famous example from Plato's Meno. This gives him an opportunity to present two proofs of the Pythagorean theorem and to generalize it.
Al-Khwārizmī's geometry of equations
Quadratic equations have been solved by geometric methods, of varying degrees of sophistication, since Babylonian times. Similar methods appear in the works of Greek authors. But al-Khwārizmī was the first to set out a clear, general method.
Bunk-bed conjecture in graph theory | Tangente
Bunk beds are not just furniture for children’s rooms, dormitories or barracks. They are mathematical objects too!
Conjectures finally settled! | Tangente
New developments in the famous "moving sofa problem" and advances in triangle dissection.
Cyril Bonin's universe: comics and mathematics | Tangente
Mathematics can hold a special place in an artist's thinking. Cyril Bonin explains how: he is the sole creator—writer, artist and colorist—of a distinctive body of graphic novels.
A century ago: equal access to the baccalauréat | Tangente
Exactly 100 years ago, girls' secondary schools were authorized to offer the same curriculum as boys' schools. Girls could now officially prepare for the baccalauréat there without having to take supplementary classes.
Maths-Vives: Mathematics takes on major challenges | Tangente
What role can mathematics play in tackling the societal challenges of today and tomorrow? The "Mathematics in Interaction" (Maths-Vives) research program aims to provide practical answers to this question.
Citizens, embrace mathematics! | Tangente
The CNRS Institute for Mathematical Sciences and their Interactions (Insmi) is launching a major nationwide consultation on mathematics.
Evaluating mathematics education policies | Tangente
The international TIMSS survey (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) has just released its results for 2023.
GIMPS and Mersenne primes | Tangente
If you would like to put your computer to work for research, your name might one day be associated with the discovery of a new Mersenne prime…