Mathematics is a fundamental science whose methods are actively used in many natural disciplines, such as physics, chemistry, and even biology. By itself, this field of knowledge deals with abstract relations and relationships, i.e. entities that are not natural in themselves.
But as soon as mathematics enters the field of any science about the world, it is immediately embodied in the description, modeling, and prediction of very specific and real natural processes. This is where it finds its essence, emerging from the veil of idealized and disconnected formulas and calculations.
It represents an exact science that does not tolerate arbitrary interpretations. It is the embodiment of order and rigid logic. It helps us to understand the world around us, to learn more about its laws, since these laws are subject to the same order that prevails in mathematics!
We can successfully translate the language spoken by nature into the language of mathematics and realize the structure of the interconnections of any phenomenon. And, after we formalize these relationships, we can build models, predict future states of the phenomena that these models describe, only on paper or inside the memory of computers!
Einstein, when asked where his laboratory was located, smiled and pointed to a pencil and paper.
His formulas of the theory of relativity became an important step on the way to understanding the universe we live in. And this happened before man began to explore space and only then did the great scientist’s equations become experimentally confirmed!
Application in modeling and forecasting
Thanks to the application of mathematics, we do not need to conduct expensive and life-threatening experiments before implementing any complex project, for example, in space exploration. We can calculate in advance the orbit parameters of a spacecraft launched from Earth to deliver astronauts to the orbital station. Mathematical calculations will allow us not to risk people’s lives, but to analyze in advance all the parameters necessary for launching the rocket, ensuring a safe flight.
Of course, a model is just that, a model, it cannot take into account all possible variables, which is why disasters happen, but it still provides fairly reliable forecasts.
You can see the embodiment of a mathematical calculation everywhere: in the car you drive, in the computer or portable device you are reading this article from.
Medicine and healthcare also exist thanks to mathematics, which is used, firstly, in the design of medical devices, and secondly, in the analysis of data on the effectiveness of a particular treatment.