Greetings to one and all, and welcome to Mathyrious!! This website is for those who are interested in understanding pure mathematics without necessarily engaging in the nuts and bolts of whatever possible calculations such an endeavor might entail. Unfortunately, even those engaging in the least intensive interpretation of such a project are often discouraged by a barrage of technical jargon, arcane symbolism, and theorems that appear to violate common sense. I will use my humble corner of the internet to post my own musings on such matters and hopefully dispel some of the confusion.
Mathyrious, the title I have given to this website and its accompanying YouTube channel, is a conflation of the words mathematics and mysterious. This title alludes to an aura of hidden truths that has always accompanied mathematics in general and pure mathematics in particular. This website’s motto (… exploring the web of pure mathematics) highlights the interconnected nature of those truths.
There are many content creators on YouTube and elsewhere who provide excellent, straightforward expositions at varying levels of mathematical maturity. I do not seek to repeat what has been presented satisfactorily elsewhere. My intent is to focus upon developments in pure mathematics as a launching point to discuss philosophical, historical, and cultural currents to set the context for each development. This might, for example, include discussing how mathematics has engaged with subject areas not usually seen as relevant to its development (e.g., religion, aesthetics, politics, art). It is my belief that many developments in mathematics are better understood within the intellectual fabric of their times. Additionally, it serves as a reminder that mathematics, regardless of its relation to truth, is ultimately a human endeavor.
For transparency’s sake, I wish to make clear that I am neither a mathematician. I am an amateur who is fascinated by pure mathematics and its place in the Western intellectual tradition. Thus, I will approach mathematics more from its traditional role in the liberal arts than from its contemporary position within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). This also explains my particular emphasis on mathematics in its pure rather than applied form.
While I have tried to keep prior mathematical knowledge to a minimum, there must be some expectations of a shared background. I will presume readers have some familiarity with material usually covered in primary and secondary school mathematics curricula. This would include basic arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. This material will be reviewed as necessary.
There are eight planned content areas on this website as follows:
● News
● Blog
● Notes
● Quizzes
● Books
● Articles
● Videos
● Links
A menu bar appears on the right-hand side of each page for access to the home page and the main page for each area.
The Blog and Notes areas will contain the website’s primary content. A topic will usually be introduced on the Blog along with some background information. The actual mathematical content will be restricted to an intuitively presented overview as some details and logical rigor may be sacrificed at this early stage at the altar of clarity. The Notes on the same topic restores many of these missing details although still in a more conversational tone than is usually present in most textbooks. There will be a General Introduction in the Notes that is intended to familiarize those new to the website with the perspectives taken here and serve as the suggested starting point beyond this homepage. As the Notes section covers specific areas of mathematics, you can assess your understanding of the material in the Quizzes area.
Additional areas include recommended Books, Articles, and Links on mathematics and related fields. Selected material from the website serves as the source for videos on the Mathyrious YouTube channel and is mirrored in the Videos area on this website. The content is not the videos’ script but their basis. Some videos may expand on the material if I think additional background is necessary.
This website will begin going online in the coming months, and all areas should be functional by the end of 2026.