Tag Archives: waves

Colours and Dimensions

January 08, 2015Article4734 vuesEdit
You've probably learned early on that there are three primary colours. But why three? And why these three? Surprisingly, the answer lies in the beautiful mathematics of linear algebra and (high) dimension spaces!

The Thrilling Physics of Resonance

March 03, 2014Article19026 vuesEdit
From the destruction of bridges and buildings to the foundations of electromagnetism and quantum mechanics, through their uses by radios or our ears,resonance is a counter-intuitive underlying phenomenon which shapes our reality. But amazingly, they can be made amazingly visual by playing with head massagers!

The Most Beautiful Equation of Math: Euler’s Identity

February 18, 2014Article94352 vuesEdit
In 1988, Euler's identity was elected most beautiful theorem of mathematics. It has been widely taught worldwide. But have you ever stopped to really sense the meaning of this incredible formula? This article does.

Does God play dice?

May 28, 2013Article1725 vuesEdit
For Albert Einstein, the answer is no. But what did he mean? Has the greatest theoretical physicist of all time really missed the bandwagon of quantum physics? What are the real issues of the controversy that has opposed him to the Copenhagen School (Bohr, Heisenberg ...)? Back to the physics of the early twentieth century, its history, philosophy and ideas.

Dynamics of the Wave Function: Heisenberg, Schrödinger, Collapse

March 04, 2013Article10752 vuesEdit
On one hand, the dynamics of the wave function can follow Schrödinger equation and satisfy simple properties like Heisenberg uncertainty principle. But on the other hand, it can be probabilistic. This doesn't mean that it's totally unpredictable, since the unpredictability is amazingly predictable. Find out how these two dynamics work!

The Essence of Quantum Mechanics

January 21, 2013Article11592 vuesEdit
Quantum mechanics is the most accurate and tested scientific theory, Its applications to real life are countless, as all new technologies are based on its principles. Yet, it's also probably the most misunderstood theory, because it constantly contradicts common sense. This article presents the most important features of the theory.

Fourier Analysis: Signals and Frequencies

October 08, 2012Article13726 vuesEdit
Fourier analysis is a fundamental theory in mathematics with an impressive field of applications. From creating radio to hearing sounds, this concept is a translation between two mathematical worlds: Signals and Frequencies. Here is an introduction to the theory.

The forces of Nature: from Newton to String Theory

September 27, 2012Article3148 vuesEdit
We live in a very complex universe, and as far as one can remember, men have always wanted to know everything about it: where do we come from? what is our world made of? To answer these questions, sciences were developped, and among them, theoretical physics: using mathematics to describe certain aspects of Nature. From […]