Mathematical Themes
Explore the major mathematical themes: geometry, algebra, analysis, arithmetic, logic, and many other fascinating fields.
Discontinuities and series of functions
The introduction of series of functions, followed by theorems establishing when continuity or differentiability is preserved in the limit, made it possible to construct objects with unusual, counterintuitive properties. Some famous mathematicians had tremendous fun with them!
Discontinuities of all kinds
They have been called "pathological"; Henri Poincaré spoke of "monsters," accusing them of being "strange functions that strive to resemble as little as possible the respectable functions that serve some purpose." Yet some discontinuous functions have left their mark on history.
The emergence of discontinuous functions
Until the early 19th century, everything seemed continuous. Trigonometric series brought discontinuous functions onto the scene. They prompted Riemann to generalize the notion of the integral, led Weierstrass to clarify the notion of continuity, and spurred Darboux to study derivatives.
Who (really) holds power in Parliament?
In May 2019, following the European Parliament elections, some groups gained seats, but not enough to influence the debates. Others lost seats, yet still seem indispensable. A group’s real power cannot be reduced to its number of seats!
University–industry math partnerships | Tangente
Corporate-sponsored research chairs are one example of the many forms that partnerships between universities and industry can take.
Mathematical innovation days | Tangente
Businesses and academic research laboratories have every reason to collaborate—but for that to happen, they must first be brought together!
Applied mathematics: past and present | Tangente
In 1867, Hippolyte Sonnet (1802–1879), professor of analysis and mechanics at the École centrale des arts et manufactures, published his Dictionnaire des mathématiques appliquées.
Academia and industry: a dialogue | Tangente
What matters most is not so much that academia tackles problems faced by industry, but that there is an open, ongoing exchange through which academia can make its advances known.
Total and mathematics: high-performance computing
HPC, or high-performance computing, harnesses multiple processing units, such as CPUs (central processing units) and GPUs (graphics processing units used for computation), to carry out computationally intensive tasks. The Total group has always been a pioneer in the field.
The mathematics of 5G | Tangente
Large companies are beginning to understand that they cannot survive in the long term without funding fundamental research. A career as a mathematician in the private sector is therefore possible, provided you have some understanding of technological challenges.
Modélisation des écoulements d'air autour des éoliennes : équations de Navier-Stokes et simulations numériques
The energy sector needs advanced mathematical expertise. In wind energy, modeling airflow means grappling with the formidable Navier–Stokes equations. Numerical simulation draws on a variety of discretization techniques.
Information geometry
Information geometry grew out of a desire to give geometric form to spaces of probability distributions. It draws on differential geometry and the study of invariance in statistics. Today, it lies at the heart of many technologies.
Images: unexpected applications | Tangente
When we think of the mathematics behind image processing, compression, transmission, denoising and the restoration of digital files naturally come to mind. Its other applications are less familiar—for example, its use in art to help restore frescoes.
Taking to the skies with mathematics
An aircraft is an extraordinarily complex system. Have you ever considered how much mathematics goes into making your flight possible—and enjoyable? Come aboard! Let's take a quick look at the specific demands of aeronautics.
Randomness in video games
ChickenPods is a free-to-play video game (F2P to those in the know) developed in 2019 at the startup Mathilde. Randomness plays an important role in generating environments and determining how the chickens move. That is where mathematics comes in...
Blockchain in all its mathematical forms | Tangente
Blockchain technology is among the technologies to watch in the years ahead, as it could revolutionize several sectors of the economy. It draws on recent mathematical developments through increasingly sophisticated processes.
Matrices and graphs in accounting
Accountants are not known for using sophisticated mathematical tools. Yet modern techniques enable them to handle many situations arising in what is known as "complex accounting".
AMIES: mathematics as a driver of innovation
Environment, healthcare, transport, energy, finance… Mathematics is now everywhere. The Agency for Mathematics in Interaction with Business and Society works with economic players from every sector. The demand for people trained in mathematics is immense!
Mathematics and employment in France:
The contribution of mathematics to industrial and technological progress is currently booming, thanks in part to the discovery of new mathematical approaches, numerical methods and algorithms. Computing power and the explosion in data volumes are not the whole story!
Mathematical expertise in high demand
It is not always appreciated, but training in mathematics is increasingly in demand throughout today’s economy. Large corporations, SMEs and start-ups alike are seeking it across an ever-growing range of professions.