What makes an equation beautiful? – Physics World (2024)

By James Dacey

Earlier this year I wrote about a psychology experiment that revealed that mathematicians appreciate beautiful equations in the same way that people experience great works of art. In the experiment, which conjures up a slightly comical scene, mathematicians were hooked up to a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine and asked to view a series of equations. When the subjects looked at equations they had previously rated as beautiful, it triggered activity in a part of the emotional brain associated with the experience of visual and musical beauty. The formula most commonly rated as beautiful in the study, in both the initial survey and the brain scan, was Euler’s equation, eiπ+ 1 = 0.

Inspired by this study, we have put together this infographic to dissect the Euler identity and try to understand why so many mathematicians are enamoured with this little equation. Let us know what you think of the infographic and what you think are the most beautiful equations. Either post a comment below this article, or let us know on Twitter using the hashtag #BeautifulEquations.


What makes an equation beautiful? – Physics World (1)

What makes an equation beautiful? – Physics World (2024)

FAQs

What is the most beautiful equation in physics world? ›

Among Zeki's colleagues in doing the research project was Michael Atiyah, who shared the 1966 Fields Medal, the most prestigious prize that a mathematician can be awarded. The formula most commonly rated as beautiful in the study, in both the survey and the brain scan, was Euler's equation, e+ 1 = 0.

What is the most beautiful equation explained? ›

Euler's formula, e i θ = cos ⁡ ( θ ) + i sin ⁡ ( θ ) , and the special case when θ = π is unequivocally beautiful. Since cos ⁡ ( π ) = − 1 and sin ⁡ ( π ) = 0 , we have e i π = − 1 ⟺ e i π + 1 = 0 , called Euler's identity, and widely considered the most beautiful equation in mathematics.

What is the hardest physics equation in the world? ›

Answer to the question (What is the hardest physics equation?): * The hardest general equation to arrive at is perhaps the relativistic mass-energy equation E = {m_0} c^2/ \sqrt{1 - {v^2}/{c^2}} . * The hardest specific equations to solve are perhaps the nonlinear Schrodinger equations or nonlinear solito…

What is the hardest equation in the world? ›

The equation x3+y3+z3=k is known as the sum of cubes problem. While seemingly straightforward, the equation becomes exponentially difficult to solve when framed as a “Diophantine equation” — a problem that stipulates that, for any value of k, the values for x, y, and z must each be whole numbers.

What is the most beautiful theory in physics? ›

Einstein's theory of relativity, which explains gravity as the curvature of space, also gets a few nods. As theoretical physicist Steve Giddings of the University of California, Santa Barbara, writes, "This central idea has shaped our ideas of modern cosmology (and) given us the image of the expanding universe."

What is the most useful physics equation? ›

Possibly the most well known physics equations has to do with energy: E=mc2. In this equation, E stands for energy, m for mass, and c for the speed of light in a vacuum (about 186,000 miles/second or 3x108 meters/second. This equation was developed by the scientist, Albert Einstein.

Does Euler's identity prove God? ›

While Leonhard Euler was himself a Christian, it is completely inconceivable that he himself actually thought this was proof of God. It's a non-sequitur, intended to be humorously surprising. Euler knew damn well that it was not really proof of anything at all, much less God.

What is the best equation in the world? ›

E=mc^2 is Albert Einstein's famous equation from his theory of relativity, expressing the equivalence of energy (E) and mass (m) with the square of the speed of light (c).

What is the golden rule of equations? ›

Do unto one side of the equation, what you do to the other! An equation is like a balance scale. If we put something on, or take something off of one side, the scale (or equation) is unbalanced. When solving math equations, we must always keep the 'scale' (or equation) balanced so that both sides are ALWAYS equal.

What is the world's hardest physics question? ›

  1. Quantum Gravity. The biggest unsolved problem in fundamental physics is how gravity and the quantum will be made to coexist within the same theory. ...
  2. Particle Masses. ...
  3. The “Measurement” Problem. ...
  4. Turbulence. ...
  5. Dark Energy. ...
  6. Dark Matter. ...
  7. Complexity. ...
  8. The Matter-Antimatter.

What is the hardest physics to study? ›

Quantum mechanics is deemed the hardest part of physics.

What is the longest physics equation? ›

The Longest Equation in Physics The model Lagrangian is a mathematical expression that summarizes the Standard Model of pa… Mathematical expression, Math, Physics.

What is the most complicated equation known to man? ›

For decades, a math puzzle has stumped the smartest mathematicians in the world. x3+y3+z3=k, with k being all the numbers from one to 100, is a Diophantine equation that's sometimes known as "summing of three cubes." When there are two or more unknowns, as is the case here, only the integers are studied.

What is the easiest equation in the world? ›

  • The simplest known equation would be:
  • a=a.
  • a formula which is "always true", a tautology.
Jan 19, 2020

Is calculus the hardest math? ›

Calculus is widely regarded as a very hard math class, and with good reason. The concepts take you far beyond the comfortable realms of algebra and geometry that you've explored in previous courses. Calculus asks you to think in ways that are more abstract, requiring more imagination.

What is the world's greatest equation? ›

The sun's energy is produced in its interior, via thermonuclear fusion. That is, mass is converted to energy in a way described by Albert Einstein's famous equation, E=mc2.

What is the love formula in physics? ›

While we were fiddling around the web looking for some ideas, Dirac's equation came to our aid: (∂ + m) ψ = 0, known as The Love Formula.

What is the most beautiful equation Dirac? ›

In particle physics, the Dirac equation is a relativistic wave equation derived by British physicist Paul Dirac in 1928. In its free form, or including electromagnetic interactions, it describes all spin-1/2 massive particles, called "Dirac particles", such as electrons and quarks for which parity is a symmetry.

What is the unique equation? ›

In a set of linear simultaneous equations, a unique solution exists if and only if, (a) the number of unknowns and the number of equations are equal, (b) all equations are consistent, and (c) there is no linear dependence between any two or more equations, that is, all equations are independent.

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