Many people have always viewed mathematics as a difficult subject. Many of them think that mathematics is for the geeks only.  If you are a mathematics teacher, you may have heard your students whispering that getting the root of a cubic function is stupid because it has no use.

Mathematics is a beautiful subject (you will know this as you read more posts in the near future). It has numerous applications in different areas of study including economics, engineering, biology, physics, law, and almost in every pure, applied, and social sciences that we can think of.  In addition, it is also useful in daily life.  We use mathematics to count, to choose the cheapest groceries, to decide when to pay our bills, to analyze whether a loan is reasonable or not, and many others.  Above all, mathematics has taught us to think critically: to recognize and generalize patterns, to make inferences and conjectures, to justify claims, to organize and make sense of data, and to reason logically.

Furthermore, mathematics is not just for geeks to enjoy about and it’s not definitely for intellectuals, for that matter. Many things around us exhibit mathematical properties that can be appreciated by “non-math” persons.  Mathematics is found in nature, the arts,  music, and, sometimes, in places where we least expect it to be.  That is what the Mathematical Palette is all about.

Mathematical Palette is a blog designed to highlight the lighter side of mathematics.   It is a place where we will discuss the connection between mathematics and other fields.  We will talk about photos, paintings, songs, poems, jokes, animations, graphics, games, and puzzles and the mathematics within and about them.  It is a blog that will celebrate  mathematical art, beauty, and wonders.

Let me note that we will not solve problems or prove theorems in this blog. We will not focus on school mathematics but rather highlight the practical and real-life applications of mathematics.  In addition, we will talk about the importance and relevance of mathematics in our everyday life as well as its achievement as a field in general.

I would like to end this introduction with a quote from G. H. Hardy, one of the most brilliant mathematicians of his time.

A mathematician, like a painter or a poet, is a maker of patterns. If his patterns are more permanent than theirs, it is because they are made with ideas.

Note:  The temporary header image of Math Palette was taken from PainterWoman’s photo collection on Flickr.