Ivan Corwin - Why the ‘Unreasonable Effectiveness’ of Mathematics?

What is it about #mathematics that it can describe so accurately the world around us? From quantum physics, the very smallest features and forces of the foundations of matter and energy, to cosmology, the very largest structures and forces of the beginning and evolution of the universe, mathematics is the language of description. Why does the physical world follow so faithfully equations of abstract symbols and variables?

Ivan Corwin is a professor of mathematics at Columbia University. His research concerns probability, mathematical physics, quantum integrable systems, stochastic PDEs, and random matrix theory. He is particularly known for work related to the Kardar–Parisi–Zhang equation.


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[SrValeriolete]

Take a picture, whatever picture, there wil be a fourier series describing it. For me it really solves the affectviness of mathematics. Mathematics is so general that whatever the universe was like, we could describe and approximate it by mathematics, wich doesn't necessarily means that math is a cause or have a separate existence. For me math is a way to organize patterns of information, if your universe has information and it forms some pattern, than you can use math to figure it out.

[billnorris]

Well done Robert.. I must admit that THIS series on the effectiveness of math, has softened my view on the matter.. Following the evidence can SOMETIMES necessitate the consideration of the mathematical assumptions we make.. After getting that off my chest I THINK I feel better.. Thanks?

[shashikamanoj]

Get John Lennox and David Berlinski for an interview

[georgegrubbs]

Insering a comment here that I made in the Ed Witten video on the same topic.
"I humbly disagree with Eugene Wigner's claim that mathematics is unreasonably effective. In fact, there are cases where mathematics lacks effectiveness, and in many cases, mathematical models are approximations. In addition, one would expect within reason, that mathematics would be effective in modeling the processes of the natural world.

Thus far, mathematics is not doing too well to model, described, and explain "mind", "self, " and "consciousness, " all of which are part of the natural world.
That said, I love mathematics and physics having taken a degree in both. Both are quite powerful and amazing at times, but not unreasonably so."

[mustafaelbahi]

Effectiveness and accuracy like a creator he made various plans in nature to discover. Max Planck I look no further, we will not find conflicts between religion and the natural sciences but on the contrary, the best mix is ​​in their main points.

[BLSFL_HAZE]

Turns out, there simply CAN'T be a reason why, because that would require there to be a reality outside of (and different from, and other than) THIS reality, which, of course, is not possible.

[martinchitembo]

As far as the preposition of mathematics refer to reality they certain, as far as certain mathematics is it is not the blueprint of reality.
Nevertheless it is a fundamental and object cornerstone of reality.

[senjinomukae]

I don't get it. This interviewer absolutely nails science/mathematics guys like this one to the wall. These are highly intelligent people who have done the hard yards and know what they are talking about. And he is able to understands the main issues even when they're difficult and he holds them to account, case in point this video. Why the fuck doesn't he do the same to the dipshit woowoo depaks and ESP believing nitwits he has on?? It's 'orders of magnitude'' ' ' ' ' easier right? so why does he nod approvingly at their facile, vacuous rubbish and give them a pass? It's beyond me.

[dosomething]

I don’t think Ivan understood the question.