Mathematics has a fearsome rep as the discipline of iron logic. But for its practitioners sometimes the best way to think clearly is to think vaguely
Mathematics is like a language – but one that, thanks to its inbuilt logic, writes itself. That's how mathematician Ian Stewart sees it, anyway. "You can start writing things down without knowing exactly what they are, and the language makes suggestions to you." Master enough of the basics, and you rapidly enter what sports players call "the zone". "Suddenly it gets much easier," Stewart says. "You're propelled along."
But what if you don't have such a maths drive? It's wrong to think it's all down to talent, says mathematician and writer Alex Bellos: even the best exponents can take decades to master their craft. "One of the reasons people don't understand maths is they don't have enough time," he says. "It's not ...
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