Discover differential equations
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Diagrams for solving
A picture is worth a thousand words! The power of images also lies in what they allow us to convey information. The diagram thus becomes a tool for thinking and problem-solving. Mathematicians have vied with each other in imagination to visualize data, make their results "jump out", and even justify them. Proofs without words, diagrams, Venn diagrams, trees, Karnaugh maps, nomograms and other modes of representation are all visual supports that have allowed a simplified view on all areas of mathematics.
Discovering differential equations
Don't be afraid of them! Behind an often confusing formalism, differential equations are an extremely powerful area of mathematical analysis. They have become indispensable due to the need to solve concrete problems in many fields where they play a fundamental role. First used in geometry and physics, they now enable, in most sciences and many engineering fields, the modeling of phenomena involving a continuous variable. And when it is impossible to find an exact solution, one can determine an approximate solution with the help of numerical schemes or computers.
All articles in this issue
Dennis Sullivan wins the 2022 Abel Prize
The Abel Prize, one of mathematics' most prestigious honors alongside the Fields Medal, has just been awarded to American mathematician Dennis Parnell Sullivan (born in 1941).
Maths at home is good for the mind
It is often assumed that differences in students’ academic success are explained by their parents’ level of education and ability to “help” them with their homework. New research supports other hypotheses.
Jean-Pierre Demailly (1957–2022)
We were saddened to learn that mathematician Jean-Pierre Demailly died on March 17.
High-school reform: maths go off on a tangent
Last January, the Société mathématique de France, together with several learned societies and professional associations, warned the Ministry about the disastrous effects of the new high-school reform on mathematics education. Here is an analysis, backed by figures.
Squaring the circle: new advances!
Squaring the circle is so well known that it is commonly invoked to describe an impossible problem. Yet the many problems derived from it continue to inspire researchers.
Finite-difference schemes
Physics, biology, chemistry, mechanics and many other fields abound in phenomena that can be modelled mathematically using differential equations or partial differential equations. In general, these equations cannot be solved explicitly. We must therefore seek approximate solutions…