This blog is an invitation to discovery and reflection, around mathematical themes.

Whether you are a student, a teacher or simply curious about maths, the resources here have been written for you.

The level of knowledge required to tackle most of them varies, roughly, between the end of high school and the second year of higher education. Having said that, even if you don’t think you fit into this framework, don’t disqualify yourself just yet! Contrary to popular belief, mathematics is an open field: what you see is what you get.

In return, anyone who wishes to delve into the universe of mathematics should be wary. You will have to accept to study a lot, to think deeply, to come up against a brick wall often, and even sometimes to go down dead ends. It will also be necessary to accept not to give up too quickly even when a question seems to resist everything you throw at it.

But if you are motivated and persevering, then the reward for your efforts will be there, at the end of the road, because when an understanding of the problem emerges from the mists, or a proof of a theorem shows up, it is a great and beautiful satisfaction for the mind!

Personally, I am impressed by the immutable nature of the truth in mathematics: no matter when a result is released, it will remain valid forever! In the body of human knowledge, it seems to me that there is no other field where this remarkable characteristic can be found.

Mathematics is deemed off-putting by some and fascinatingly beautiful by others, but leaves no one indifferent. The idea that maths might harbor a « fascinating beauty » will make many wince, because for some of us, maths evokes nothing more than a collection of unpleasant memories dating back to our schooldays… “Maths is abstract”, “far from reality”… And besides, what good is maths, apart from to give high school students a hard time?

These clichés are stubborn, but I think that everyone in the mathematics community, researcher or teacher, should strive – at their level and with their means – to eradicate them. It is a huge task, but it is well worth the effort!

René Adad