大象传媒

Faced with one cake and eight hungry people, it鈥檚 pretty obvious how maths underpins reality. But as mathematics gets further from common sense and into seemingly abstract territory, nature still seems to obey its rules - whether in the orbit of a planet, the number of petals on a flower, or the structure of an atom.

But what exactly is the relationship between mathematics and reality? That鈥檚 the impossibly difficult question CrowdScience has been set this week by our listener Sergio in Peru. It鈥檚 one that鈥檚 been pondered by humans for millennia: the Greek philosopher Pythagoras believed 鈥淎ll is number鈥�.

Is maths a human construct to help us make sense of reality - a tool, a model, a language? Does maths create its own reality? Or is it reality itself?

CrowdScience explores these questions with the help of experts from the fields of philosophy, mathematics and science: Dr Eleanor Knox, Dr Eugenia Cheng, Professor Lucie Green, Alex Bellos and Stefano Centineo.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Produced by Cathy Edwards for the 大象传媒 World Service

(Photo: A young woman with her eyes closed standing in front of chalkboard, working out maths formulas. Credit: Getty Images)