Pi (), Infinity () and Iota (-1): A closer look at Reality!

From the very beginning of ages, nature has always been the mysterious element to humankind. Be it the Hanging gardens of Babylon or timeless beauty of Mona Lisa, Mathematics played a vital role. This very language of nature made possible what many call wonders. Be it cross globe communication in real time or powering supercomputers, logic or artificial intelligence, the role of mathematics is crucial. Consider this, Pi, or 3.14159; a non-terminating non repeating (hence irrational); defined as ratio of circles circumference to its diameter holds EVERY-THING. Amazed? Let me help you. Pi, an infinite, nonrepeating decimal contains every possible number combination ever known. Every number sequence exists somewhere in pi. Or to simplify, converting that to ASCII standard (language in which computers interact) somewhere in this infinite string of digits is the name of every person you know, your birth date, time and well answers to every question that exist in the Universe. Another mystery of Mathematics which never fails to impress me is or infinity. The never-ending idea of something is infinity. Infinity is not a real number rather its an idea of something which cannot be measured. Combining pi with infinity, many mathematicians including me claim that a circle is not basically a circle rather it is a collection of an infinite number of corners. Infinity comes at play in every nook and corner of the Universe. The density of a black hole is infinite which means that not even light (photons) can escape back. Hence, notion of infinity in mathematics is a reality which can be observed all around us. Last but not the least, comes the complex number iota, (-1). Also commonly known as the square root of -1, this complex number well defines the concept of time mathematically. We all live in a three dimensional world with length, breadth and height being the dimensions. Time, the fourth dimension of Universe can be further categorized into the past, present and future. Without getting into details, iota can be used to depict the events of past in a quantum world with n dimensions each having its own probability of events. Working out the mathematics around equations this fact can lead us to the possibility of TIME TRAVEL. Due to this very conjecture about iota, these complex numbers are sometimes better called as imaginary as well. The reality and perception of world from the eyes of a mathematician is as strange as the idea of quantum computation, yet everything is possible. Mathematics indeed is the language in which Nature interacts, one just have to understand it. Mrs. Sunita Sangwan, Lecturer, Campus School CCS, HAU.