Mathematics, COL-DIR

Mathematics is a science of structure, order, and relation that deals with logical reasoning and quantitative calculation. The history of mathematics can be traced back to ancient Mesopotamia; ancient clay tablets have proven that the level of mathematical competence was already high as early as roughly the 18th century BCE. Over the centuries, mathematics has evolved from elemental practices of counting, measuring, and describing the shapes of objects into a crucial adjunct to the physical sciences and technology.
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Mathematics Encyclopedia Articles By Title

Coleman, James S.
James S. Coleman was an American sociologist, a pioneer in mathematical sociology whose studies strongly influenced......
collinearity
collinearity, in statistics, correlation between predictor variables (or independent variables), such that they......
color wheel
color wheel, diagram used in the visual arts to represent the colors of the visible spectrum and their relationships......
commutative law
commutative law, in mathematics, either of two laws relating to number operations of addition and multiplication......
compactness
compactness, in mathematics, property of some topological spaces (a generalization of Euclidean space) that has......
complex number
complex number, number of the form x + yi, in which x and y are real numbers and i is the imaginary unit such that......
complex variable
complex variable, In mathematics, a variable that can take on the value of a complex number. In basic algebra,......
computational complexity
computational complexity, a measure of the amount of computing resources (time and space) that a particular algorithm......
conditional probability
conditional probability, the probability that an event occurs given the knowledge that another event has occurred.......
cone
cone, in mathematics, the surface traced by a moving straight line (the generatrix) that always passes through......
confidence interval
confidence interval, in statistics, a range of values providing the estimate of an unknown parameter of a population.......
conformal map
conformal map, In mathematics, a transformation of one graph into another in such a way that the angle of intersection......
congruence
congruence, in mathematics, a term employed in several senses, each connoting harmonious relation, agreement, or......
conic section
conic section, in geometry, any curve produced by the intersection of a plane and a right circular cone. Depending......
connectedness
connectedness, in mathematics, fundamental topological property of sets that corresponds with the usual intuitive......
connective
connective, in logic, a word or group of words that joins two or more propositions together to form a connective......
Connes, Alain
Alain Connes is a French mathematician who won the Fields Medal in 1982 for his work in operator theory. Connes......
Conon of Samos
Conon of Samos was a mathematician and astronomer whose work on conic sections (curves of the intersections of......
constant
constant, a number, value, or object that has a fixed magnitude, physically or abstractly, as a part of a specific......
continued fraction
continued fraction, expression of a number as the sum of an integer and a quotient, the denominator of which is......
continuity
continuity, in mathematics, rigorous formulation of the intuitive concept of a function that varies with no abrupt......
continuum hypothesis
continuum hypothesis, statement of set theory that the set of real numbers (the continuum) is in a sense as small......
control theory
control theory, field of applied mathematics that is relevant to the control of certain physical processes and......
convergence
convergence, in mathematics, property (exhibited by certain infinite series and functions) of approaching a limit......
Cook, Stephen Arthur
Stephen Arthur Cook is an American computer scientist and winner of the 1982 A.M. Turing Award, the highest honour......
Coolidge, Julian Lowell
Julian Lowell Coolidge was a U.S. mathematician and educator who published numerous works on theoretical mathematics......
coordinate system
coordinate system, Arrangement of reference lines or curves used to identify the location of points in space. In......
Copson, Edward Thomas
Edward Thomas Copson was a mathematician known for his contributions to analysis and partial differential equations,......
Corbató, Fernando
Fernando Corbató was an American physicist and computer scientist and winner of the 1990 A.M. Turing Award, the......
Coriolis, Gaspard-Gustave de
Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis was a French engineer and mathematician who first described the Coriolis force, an......
correlation
correlation, In statistics, the degree of association between two random variables. The correlation between the......
cosecant
cosecant, one of the six trigonometric functions, which, in a right triangle ABC, for an angle A, iscsc A = length......
cosine
cosine, one of the six trigonometric functions, which, in a right triangle ABC, for an angle A, is cos A = length......
cotangent
cotangent, one of the six trigonometric functions, which, in a right triangle ABC, for an angle A, iscot A = length......
Courant, Richard
Richard Courant was a German-born American mathematician and educator who made significant advances in the calculus......
Cournot, Antoine-Augustin
Antoine-Augustin Cournot was a French economist and mathematician. Cournot was the first economist who, with competent......
Couturat, Louis
Louis Couturat was a French philosopher and logician who sought a universal language and symbolic-logic system......
covariance
covariance, measure of the relationship between two random variables on the basis of their joint variability. Covariance......
Cox, David
David Cox was a British statistician best known for his proportional hazards model. Cox studied at St. John’s College,......
Coxeter, H.S.M.
H.S.M. Coxeter was a British-born Canadian geometer, who was a leader in the understanding of non-Euclidean geometries,......
Cramer’s rule
Cramer’s rule, in linear and multilinear algebra, procedure for solving systems of simultaneous linear equations......
Cray, Seymour
Seymour Cray was an American electronics engineer and computer designer who was the preeminent designer of the......
Crelle, August Leopold
August Leopold Crelle was a German mathematician and engineer who advanced the work and careers of many young mathematicians......
Cremona, Luigi
Luigi Cremona was an Italian mathematician who was an originator of graphical statics, the use of graphical methods......
cross product
cross product, a method of multiplying two vectors that produces a vector perpendicular to both vectors involved......
cross ratio
cross ratio, in projective geometry, ratio that is of fundamental importance in characterizing projections. In......
cryptarithm
cryptarithm, mathematical recreation in which the goal is to decipher an arithmetic problem in which letters have......
cryptography
cryptography, Practice of the enciphering and deciphering of messages in secret code in order to render them unintelligible......
cube
cube, in Euclidean geometry, a regular solid with six square faces; that is, a regular hexahedron. Since the volume......
Curry, Haskell Brooks
Haskell Brooks Curry was an American mathematician and educator whose research in logic led to his theory of formal......
curvature
curvature, in mathematics, the rate of change of direction of a curve with respect to distance along the curve.......
curve
curve, In mathematics, an abstract term used to describe the path of a continuously moving point (see continuity).......
cybernetics
cybernetics, control theory as it is applied to complex systems. Cybernetics is associated with models in which......
cycloid
cycloid, the curve generated by a point on the circumference of a circle that rolls along a straight line. If r......
cylinder
cylinder, in geometry, surface of revolution that is traced by a straight line (the generatrix) that always moves......
Dahl, Ole-Johan
Ole-Johan Dahl was a Norwegian computer scientist who created the first object-oriented programming languages,......
Dantzig, George
George Dantzig was an American mathematician who devised the simplex method, an algorithm for solving problems......
Dantzig, Tobias
Tobias Dantzig was a Latvian-born American mathematician, best known for his science and mathematics books written......
Darboux, Jean-Gaston
Jean-Gaston Darboux was a French mathematician who made important contributions to geometry and analysis and after......
Darboux’s theorem
Darboux’s theorem, in analysis (a branch of mathematics), statement that for a function f(x) that is differentiable......
Davenport, Charles Benedict
Charles Benedict Davenport was an American zoologist who contributed substantially to the study of eugenics (the......
Davies, Donald
Donald Davies was a British computer scientist and inventor of packet switching, along with American electrical......
Davies, Paul
Paul Davies is a British theoretical physicist and astrobiologist who contributed to scholarly and popular debate......
de Colmar, Charles Xavier Thomas
Charles Xavier Thomas de Colmar was a French mathematician. In 1820, while serving in the French army, he built......
De Morgan, Augustus
Augustus De Morgan was an English mathematician and logician whose major contributions to the study of logic include......
decimal system
decimal system, in mathematics, positional numeral system employing 10 as the base and requiring 10 different numerals,......
decision theory
decision theory, in statistics, a set of quantitative methods for reaching optimal decisions. A solvable decision......
Dedekind cut
Dedekind cut, in mathematics, concept advanced in 1872 by the German mathematician Richard Dedekind that combines......
Dedekind, Richard
Richard Dedekind was a German mathematician who developed a major redefinition of irrational numbers in terms of......
Dee, John
John Dee was an English mathematician, natural philosopher, and student of the occult. Dee entered St. John’s College,......
Dehn, Max
Max Dehn was a German mathematician and educator whose study of topology in 1910 led to his theorem on topological......
Delaunay, Charles-Eugène
Charles-Eugène Delaunay was a French mathematician and astronomer whose theory of lunar motion advanced the development......
Deligne, Pierre
Pierre Deligne is a Belgian mathematician who was awarded the Fields Medal (1978), the Crafoord Prize (1988), and......
Deming, W. Edwards
W. Edwards Deming was an American statistician, educator, and consultant whose advocacy of quality-control methods......
derivative
derivative, in mathematics, the rate of change of a function with respect to a variable. Derivatives are fundamental......
Desargues, Girard
Girard Desargues was a French mathematician who figures prominently in the history of projective geometry. Desargues’s......
Desargues’s theorem
Desargues’s theorem, in geometry, mathematical statement discovered by the French mathematician Girard Desargues......
Descartes’s rule of signs
Descartes’s rule of signs, in algebra, rule for determining the maximum number of positive real number solutions......
determinant
determinant, in linear and multilinear algebra, a value, denoted det A, associated with a square matrix A of n......
Dickson, Leonard Eugene
Leonard Eugene Dickson was an American mathematician who made important contributions to the theory of numbers......
Dieudonné, Jean
Jean Dieudonné was a French mathematician and educator known for his writings on abstract algebra, functional analysis,......
Difference Engine
Difference Engine, an early calculating machine, verging on being the first computer, designed and partially built......
difference equation
difference equation, mathematical equality involving the differences between successive values of a function of......
differential
differential, in mathematics, an expression based on the derivative of a function, useful for approximating certain......
differential analyzer
differential analyzer, electromechanical analog computing device used in the early and mid-20th century for solving......
differential calculus
differential calculus, Branch of mathematical analysis, devised by Isaac Newton and G.W. Leibniz, and concerned......
differential equation
differential equation, mathematical statement containing one or more derivatives—that is, terms representing the......
differential geometry
differential geometry, branch of mathematics that studies the geometry of curves, surfaces, and manifolds (the......
differential operator
differential operator, In mathematics, any combination of derivatives applied to a function. It takes the form......
differentiation
differentiation, in mathematics, process of finding the derivative, or rate of change, of a function. In contrast......
differentiator
differentiator, a device or set of components for performing the mathematical operation of differentiation—i.e.,......
Dijkstra, Edsger
Edsger Dijkstra was a Dutch computer scientist who developed the paradigm of structured programming for writing......
dimension
dimension, in common parlance, the measure of the size of an object, such as a box, usually given as length, width,......
Diophantine equation
Diophantine equation, equation involving only sums, products, and powers in which all the constants are integers......
Diophantus
Diophantus was a Greek mathematician, famous for his work in algebra. What little is known of Diophantus’s life......
direction field
direction field, way of graphically representing the solutions of a first-order differential equation without actually......
Dirichlet problem
Dirichlet problem, in mathematics, the problem of formulating and solving certain partial differential equations......

Mathematics Encyclopedia Articles By Title