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Harvard Mathematicians 3D Picture Language Makes Learning Math Fun

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Three great minds from Harvard developed a mathematical 3-D picture language that is applicable for a broad range of topics. The new technology is applicable for various subjects from math to physics. It is expected to transmit complex concepts and details in a simple image.

The developers from Harvard are researcher Alex Wozniakowski, postdoctoral fellow Zhengwei Liu, and Landon T. Clay Professor of Mathematics and Theoretical Science Arthur Jaffe, Harvard Gazette reported. The new language called quon was featured in the February 2017 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences publication. According to Quantum Complexity Science Initiative's Jacob Biamonte, this language is a big deal since it will build a new foundation for a wide array of topics.

The Harvard mathematicians have been working on this paper for one and a half years, and they expect it to lead to something fresh and exciting, Semiconductor Engineering reported. Jaffe believes that their findings are just the tip of an iceberg as they started out solving quantum information until they arrived on other areas of mathematics including physics.

People start with numbers, which is the basic when tackling the language of mathematics. As people get older, mathematical elements gets more complex. Liu said people start out using algebra, but now there are fewer numbers replaced by more letters and other formulas. The new 3-D picture language is expected to utilize "Picture proof," instead of "Symbol proof."

The new language is based on images to transmit traditional algebraic information. Sometimes it can convey more than just those basic mathematical equations. It is easier for people to grasp the meaning of the elements with the image they see.

Instead of using words and letters, the Harvard mathematicians aim to communicate with the new 3-D picture language using pictures. The new 3-D picture language brings a whole new take on the traditional mathematical approaches.

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