The barycenter
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The barycenter
The mathematical concept of barycenter, derived from that of center of gravity in physics, was only introduced in the 19th century. This system of weighted points becomes an essential concept in geometry as it leads to wonders. Its famous law of associativity is found in many proof tricks and allows, with the notion of barycentric coordinates, to solve, regardless of the dimension of space, multiple problems, often without calculation: alignment of points, concurrence of lines, locus of a point in the plane or in space... Born from the laws of equilibrium in physics, which one can, for example, observe in the mobiles of artist Alexandre Calder, the barycenter today has limitless applications, from astronomy to horseback riding, from engineering sciences to sports.
Create and solve puzzles
Since the dawn of time, tens of thousands of mathematical puzzles have been imagined, many of which continue to captivate those who devote themselves to finding their solutions. These puzzles provoke genuine enthusiasm when the reasoning is surprising, when it draws upon unexpected analogies, when it reveals hidden information. How can the author of mathematical problems demonstrate such creativity to motivate so much enthusiasm? How can he/she reinvent himself/herself when so many topics have been covered?
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Euclid's algorithm, et cetera
A history of arithmetic—or how an algorithm dating from the third century BCE has endured through the ages and evolved to serve modern disciplines, particularly computer science and cryptology.
Jacques Dominioni,
The work of the painter Jacques Dominioni (1934–2014) belongs primarily to lyrical abstraction. Yet his mastery of basic geometric forms—lines, circles and the grid structure underlying his paintings—is thought-provoking... and moving. Let's explore the different periods of his artistic output.
Tokyo Olympics: a mathematician wins gold!
Mathematician Anna Kiesenhofer won a cycling gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Beyond the white dimension
A Tale of Synapse is a video game that immerses players in a mathematical universe.
Mapping mathematical events in Europe
The new Pop Math website aims to catalogue mathematical events across Europe.
The Tangente Awards: take part!
The awards organized by the Club Tangente continue to go from strength to strength! Enthusiasm seems to grow every year: publishers keep an eye on the literary prizewinners, while readers submit articles or puzzles and vote for their favorite books.
The mathematics of chance at the heart of physics
The idea of introducing probability measures into models of physical phenomena dates back to the 19th century and runs through the work of Josiah Gibbs. The approach can be illustrated quite simply using... two magnets.