1, 2, 3, 4, … Mathematical Association of America Meeting MathFest 2017 Math isn’t just a subject for me, it’s the way of things, physical, imperceptible, even metaphorical. So when there was an opportunity to address mathematics and reality at the TEDx Saint Louis University, I pounced at it. Charged, I whipped up a talk, eagerly mixing in intricate mathematical renderings in the play: intricate, not to show off, but because that’s where the real message is, of truth, of awe, of its inherency. x2 Exposing general audience to the voice of mathematics Neeti Sinha 4 3 2 4 9 16 Copyright © 2017 by Neeti Sinha

If I understood you, would I have this look on my face. In the rehearsal round I picked up this faces, which I thought means impressed, but from the recent Alan Alda’s book I learnt this means If I understood you will I have this look on my face. Also facilitators told me the same thing. In the rehearsal led reformed talk however I still didn’t shy away from sophisticated and elaborate aspects of mathematics. With regards to connecting with general audience one thing is clear. Contrary to the usual belief, general audience, including the ones without mathematics background, draw to mathematics quite easily once they get a slight hint as to what mathematics really is, that is, where it stands vis-à-vis reality. How formulations, no matter what complexity, translate into tangible: That there’s a connection. In the rehearsal round I picked up this faces, which I thought means impressed, but from the recent Alan Alda’s book I learnt this means If I understood you will I have this look on my face. If I understood you, would I have this look on my face. Copyright © 2017 by Neeti Sinha

 A lot of trendy math talks persuade into number patterns of nature, with Fibonacci sequence and Golden ratio, and that can be a good starting point, but it highlights mathematics only at the surface. A tip of the iceberg if you may, even if you are to just skim through the significance of irrational and then transcendental numbers, which is a truer reflection of mathematics. The casting essence is to treat mathematics as a first principle. For example, from the ages around 14 to seniors, I saw them noticeably moved by the graphic parallel of squaring and cubing a number. a b d b c e Copyright © 2017 by Neeti Sinha

x3 4 3 2 And this sort of thing gives a climbing point to show that graphic is number in disguise, all the way, and into the physical world. Copyright © 2017 by Neeti Sinha

f(x) = 2x2 + 8x – 24 In my experience the more complex we can go the - root x = - 6; y = 0 x = 2; y = 0 factors: 2(x+6)(x-2) In my experience the more complex we can go the better is the message conveyed, and the inspiration felt. We can hammer on algebra to geometry translation —a major chunk of mathematics—by simple examples. Copyright © 2017 by Neeti Sinha Bringing in the lofty stature of algebraic equation isn’t just satisfying but also fruitful in conveying, that no matter how complex, it is just a verbalization of a configuration, rendered by blending of discrete terms.

Copyright © 2017 by Neeti Sinha

E=mc2 Dirac Equation Quantum field Prescripts of relativity, I am surprised to note, to many come across as astounding that this at the crux is to do with the workings of mathematics. But never not go into the territory where mathematics is at its most stringent: the formulations of reality. Dirac Equation Quantum field Expanding into quantum field (Schrodinger equation, Feynman diagram) never actually fails in capturing a wide attention. That the tangled looking equations aren’t just formulating, but also enlightening. Dirac equation, one of the tightest examples of mathematical physics, provides a perfect representation of mathematics being the first principle. Copyright © 2017 by Neeti Sinha Image Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/FIT/E. Perlman; Illustration: CXC/M. Weiss

Stamp it with things like Calabi –Yau manifold Stamp it with things like Calabi –Yau manifold. It’s a mathematical object. Everything is a mathematical object. But this verbalizes a fuller complexity for us, a thing of a projective plane. This is a 3-D snapshot of that projective plane. The seams you see all over aren’t really there. It’s an abstract object. With this we can dish out grand foundations of abstract algebra, calculus, group, matrix, projective geometry, topology, symmetry, continuum, and connotations of mathematical physics all in one fell swoop. For theoretical physicists here, its allusion to string theory is encouraging, but here we see this mathematical intricacy in its own right. Copyright © 2017 by Neeti Sinha Credits: Calabi-Yau manifold- A. Hanson

Embellish by pulling into recent mainstream media Embellish by pulling into recent mainstream media. Gargantua of the movie Interstellar, Courtesy of the special effects team for the movie Interstellar. Credit: Warner Bros. & Paramount Pictures Copyright © 2017 by Neeti Sinha

The Theory of Everything ..the jotting of mathematization in The theory of everything, can be quite insightful in a general setting. The Theory of Everything Indeed, we can tread deeper and wider, endlessly, in any of the areas above. Image credit: Working Title Films Copyright © 2017 by Neeti Sinha

Blog: Magnified Universe: Cosmic Landscape in Quantum Décor The take home message: that math isn’t an isolated, abstruse endeavor, but a window to see how things structure and move. That it articulates not just discrete, but also abstract. Blog: Magnified Universe: Cosmic Landscape in Quantum Décor www.magnifieduniverse.com/blog Copyright © 2017 by Neeti Sinha