Applied Maths?

[Dirty Harry]

0.0762..........

correct.

[nicegirlsarenice]

Westside

Perhaps the best exploration of the difference between pure and applied mathematics is given in G H Hardy's book "The Mathematicians Apology". Hardy is famous for his quote that - "I have never done anything 'useful'. No discovery of mine has made, or is likely to make, directly or indirectly, for good or ill, the least difference to the amenity of the world." - in effect he is saying that his Mathematical work is entirely of a "pure" (i.e. theoretical) nature with no practical applications (i.e. "applied").

The irony is that much of Hardy's work (and, indeed many areas of pure mathematical research) have found extensive practical application. However, and this is I guess the key distinction, pure mathematicians do not pursue research for or in the hope of finding practical applications - if they do, great, but this is not the primary motivation. The motivation for pure research is more of an esoteric intellectual challenge.

As an aside, it is, perhaps, interesting to note that the 20th century has also seen the reverse process occurring where practical or experimental science has driven research in pure mathematics - for the interested reader (if any!) an example would be the initial work of Bohrs, Schrodinger et al in quatum mechanics leading Paul Dirac etc. to develop a comprehensive underlying Mathematical theory of Operators, Hilbert Spaces, QED etc.

Right, definitely time for a drink!

hd.

Nice to see we have a resident mathematician of some sort on the boards.

[bigladdub]

Applied mathematics is a branch of mathematics that concerns itself with the mathematical techniques typically used in the application of mathematical knowledge to other domains.

Historically, applied mathematics consisted principally of applied analysis, most notably differential equations; approximation theory (broadly construed, to include representations, asymptotic methods, variational methods, and numerical analysis); and applied probability. These areas of mathematics were intimately tied to the development of Newtonian physics, and in fact the distinction between mathematicians and physicists was not sharply drawn before the mid-19th century. This history left a legacy as well: until the early 20th century subjects such as classical mechanics were often taught in applied mathematics departments at American universities rather than in physics departments, and fluid mechanics may still be taught in applied mathematics departments.[1] As well as physics, engineering and computer science have traditionally made use of applied mathematics.

Today, the term applied mathematics is used in a broader sense. It includes the classical areas above, as well as other areas that have become increasingly important in applications. Even fields such as number theory that are part of pure mathematics are now important in applications (such as cryptography), though they are not generally considered to be part of the field of applied mathematics per se. Sometimes the term applicable mathematics is used to distinguish between the traditional applied mathematics that developed alongside physics and the many areas of mathematics that are applicable to real-world problems today.

Many mathematicians distinguish between applied mathematics, which is concerned with mathematical methods, and the applications of mathematics within science and engineering. A biologist using a population model and applying known mathematics would not be doing applied mathematics, but rather using it; however mathematical biologists have posed problems that have stimulated the growth of pure mathematics. However, mathematicians like Poincaré and Arnold deny the existence of "applied mathematics" and claim that there are only "applications of mathematics"; similarly, nonmathematicians blend applied mathematics and applications of mathematics. The use and development of mathematics to solve industrial problems is also called industrial mathematics.[2]

The success of modern numerical mathematical methods and software has led to the emergence of computational mathematics, computational science, and computational engineering, which use high performance computing for the simulation of phenomena and the solution of problems in the sciences and engineering. These are often considered interdisciplinary disciplines.


Simples...............

I think that this is funny cos I did very well academically and am really comfortable with (and quick at) mental arithmetic... however, pure maths and applied maths always completely bamboozled me.

I can read a balance sheet or a P&L in seconds, but what is that stuff they were doing in Good Will Hunting????????????

Jaysus.....

BLD

[corkpunter]

For people thinking about going back into studying, especially maths, but also physics, chemistry, history etc. There is an online website called khanacademy.org, that is really great, giving loads of examples on all these things that we might not know/remember from the last time, it is given as video tutorials from a perspective of someone sitting down besides you and explaining about it. Best of all, it is free.

[luther]

I

I can read a balance sheet or a P&L in seconds

Me too, but I find then a bit like the papers lately, always bad news................

[luther]

what is that stuff they were doing in Good Will Hunting????????????

Jaysus.....

BLD

I've already explained this.........

What about 2 apples + 2 apples = 4 apples???

How do ya like them apples............

[Westsidex]

didn't they bring out a new grade for those that couldn't cut pass maths, .

Yeah and they are called calculators.

Sincerely,
Westside.

[bigladdub]

How do ya like them apples............

I SOOOO asked for that!!

lol

BLD

[Westsidex]

No.... two 50 euro notes and a 20 euro note = 120 euro when paying an escort is applied maths.

Well your hardly going to call into an escort and hand her a slip of paper, for payment with the following on it,

ab= x2 / 3*a.

Express A to the nearest decimal point.

no extras,
Westside.

[Westsidex]

Ipure maths and applied maths always completely bamboozled me.

and so does mods, reviews, life in general.
Westside.