Mathematical Breakthroughs Driven by Wartime in the Twentieth Century
Category
Sciences and Technology
Department
Mathematics
Student Status
Undergraduate
Research Advisor
Dr. Cynthia Huffman
Document Type
Event
Location
Kansas 2
Start Date
10-4-2025 11:20 AM
End Date
10-4-2025 11:20 AM
Description
Major mathematical breakthroughs have occurred during times of war. Given the historical and geopolitical relevance of wars, a sample from World War I, World War II, and the Cold War was explored to highlight their contributions to mathematics. This was achieved through investigating published work originating from each war. Secondary sources are used to discuss the modern impact. The twentieth century was chosen due to its recency and modern applications that have exerted a significant influence in society. The research highlighted key innovative trends during and surrounding the time of war. World War I led to aeronautical development impacting all aviation. The research started with three equations describing a force accelerating in the \(x,y,\) and \(z\) directions. From there, the research follows in the footsteps of George Bryan to derive the two equations which describe aeronautical stabilization. World War II spurred the development of encryption and decryption to ensure secure data transmission. The research followed the original questions posed and answered by Claude E. Shannon on secrecy, including both theoretical and practical considerations. Lastly, the Cold War fostered fast data analysis, condensing vast amounts of information. This is illustrated in calculating complex Fourier series through the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). Therefore, wartime innovations have played an essential role in the advancement of mathematics.
Mathematical Breakthroughs Driven by Wartime in the Twentieth Century
Kansas 2
Major mathematical breakthroughs have occurred during times of war. Given the historical and geopolitical relevance of wars, a sample from World War I, World War II, and the Cold War was explored to highlight their contributions to mathematics. This was achieved through investigating published work originating from each war. Secondary sources are used to discuss the modern impact. The twentieth century was chosen due to its recency and modern applications that have exerted a significant influence in society. The research highlighted key innovative trends during and surrounding the time of war. World War I led to aeronautical development impacting all aviation. The research started with three equations describing a force accelerating in the \(x,y,\) and \(z\) directions. From there, the research follows in the footsteps of George Bryan to derive the two equations which describe aeronautical stabilization. World War II spurred the development of encryption and decryption to ensure secure data transmission. The research followed the original questions posed and answered by Claude E. Shannon on secrecy, including both theoretical and practical considerations. Lastly, the Cold War fostered fast data analysis, condensing vast amounts of information. This is illustrated in calculating complex Fourier series through the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). Therefore, wartime innovations have played an essential role in the advancement of mathematics.
