The Einstein black hole equation got me thinking. In a universe where so many things seem random, unexplained, and misunderstood, how can numbers on a paper explain and predict how the universe works?
It blows my mind that this concept (math) is so young relative to the universe and can be used to explain how and why things happen. Where’s the connection?
In: Mathematics
To be more direct than some of the answers.
Math was invented to explain the physical world. That is why, fundamentally, it is so good at it. We defined it in terms of the things we saw. When we had difficulty understanding something with the math we had, we explored different ways to think about and calculate what we saw.
The basic principles, or axioms, of math are self-true or are simply a definition we set. There is non-eli5 conversation to be had down this rabbit hole if you choose.
Example Axiom:
Things which are equal to the same thing are also equal to one another. (7 is 7, so 7 equals 7, 7=7)
This axiom seems unneeded on the surface, but it begins to allow algebra. As you can substitute anything in for 7.
Most of mathematics is built up from these somewhat simple definitions.
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