Mathematical Themes
Explore the major mathematical themes: geometry, algebra, analysis, arithmetic, logic, and many other fascinating fields.
James Clerk Maxwell
In 1865, with four equations that have since become legendary, Maxwell unifies magnetism, electricity and optics—fields that had until then remained separate. The way is now open for wireless telegraphy, radio broadcasting and, later, the development of electronics.
Ludwig Boltzmann
Ludwig Boltzmann was one of the most important scientists of the 19th century. Boltzmann's interpretation of entropy inspired Max Planck and Albert Einstein in their work on the statistical theory of radiation and on the quantum and photon hypotheses.
Joseph Fourier
At a time when the nature of heat was still being debated in the 18th century, Joseph Fourier established an equation describing how heat propagates through a solid of arbitrary shape. His methods make the French scientist a founder of mathematical physics.
Claude Mydorge:
A keen enthusiast for geometry, Claude Mydorge collaborated with René Descartes. His interest in conic sections led him to study the laws of optics and astronomy. He also developed a particular fondness for mathematical games and recreations.
A controversy over gears
What shape should gear teeth have to get the most out of gears? The question preoccupied 17th-century scholars so intensely that tempers sometimes flared. Philippe de La Hire and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz were two of the protagonists in this historic scientific dispute.
Newton's fluxions
With his theory of fluxions, Newton explained Kepler's laws describing planetary motion. Yet because it was less convenient to use than Leibniz's infinitesimal calculus, it ultimately held back research in Britain.
The geometry of measurement
The concept of measurement evolved over a long period, from concrete practice to abstraction, in a process initiated by Archimedes. This required mastering the concept of infinity.
Combinatorics, past and present: An interview with Pierre Duchet
The study of combinatorial structures is a recent branch of mathematics, rich in counting problems. A journey into a far too little-known realm.
South America: Fondation Cartier's ode to geometry | Tangente
Until 24 February 2019, Fondation Cartier is exploring the presence of geometry in art across South America, from Mexico to Tierra del Fuego, spanning pre-Columbian and contemporary art as well as Indigenous American cultures.
Michel Serfati: a passion for the history of | Tangente
Mathematician, philosopher and historian of science, Michel Serfati, who died on September 30 last year, was all three.
Pierre Duchet: research in action | Tangente
Mathematician Pierre Duchet died on October 27 last year at his home in Mexico City. A friend of the editorial team at Tangente, this specialist in combinatorics, discrete mathematics and especially graph theory was always eager to share his work with younger generations.
Christian Lavigne | Tangente
Visual artist Christian Lavigne's work achieves a beautiful alchemy of mathematics, art, poetry and, above all, digital sculpture, a field in which he is a leading figure. He created the first French digital sculpture produced using additive manufacturing.
Binary notation for representing data
A computer's memory can store only 0s and 1s. Despite this limitation, we now use it to store numbers, text, photographs and even videos. This encoding relies on a host of standards and conventions that are well worth knowing.
The campylograph | Tangente
At the end of the 19th century, Father Dechevrens, director of the Jersey observatory, devised a curve-drawing machine. Originally designed to plot the paths of the planets as seen from Earth, it could produce many other curves besides epicycles!
2019: a random year | Tangente
Randomness is the theme of the 2019 mathematical calendar published by Presses universitaires de Grenoble and edited by Ana Rechtman Bulajich.
Having fun with the number 60 | Tangente
Although 60 is no longer the retirement age, there are still plenty of opportunities to play with the number 60.
Speaking numbers
Do you speak numbers? Writing numbers is perfectly automatic, but reading them raises several questions.
Base 60 still dictates our schedules | Tangente
The revolutionaries introduced the decimal system for weights and measures, and despite a few Anglo-Saxon holdouts, it prevailed across the globe. Yet bases 12 and 60 live on, notably in the measurement of angles and the passage of time…
Counting without counting | Tangente
Everyday language still bears traces of certain ancient counting practices.
Two numeral systems you were spared | Tangente
Numeral systems are a matter of conventions dictated by history and efficiency. But what if...