Mathematics and Pictures. Some popular examples

Mathematics is a science that is traditionally known as a highly abstract discipline. Due to its apparent possibility of deducing abstract formulas without the necessity of back-linking to the outside reality, pure mathematics’ status is often experienced as being isolated from and superior to the dubious reality and our evenly ambiguous perception of it. Despite this attitude, several examples can be given of the usefulness of this back-linking. Moreover, since the commercialisation of the computer, new possibilities for mathematical research became available. These possibilities though can only be reached through experimenting. One of the aspects of this experimental approach to mathematics is the use of computer generated images. On the one hand they are used as testing instruments, on the other hand they are necessary tools for certain mathematical theories to be possible as the outside reality is the object of observation of a physicist, computer generated images are the reality to be observed and perceived by the mathematician.