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URLhttps://physicsworld.com/a/what-makes-an-equation-beautiful/
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Meta TitleWhat makes an equation beautiful? – Physics World
Meta DescriptionFind out by taking a look at our infographic
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By James Dacey Earlier this year I wrote about a psychology experiment that revealed that mathematicians appreciate beautiful equations in the same way that people experience great works of art. In the experiment, which conjures up a slightly comical scene, mathematicians were hooked up to a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine and asked to view a series of equations. When the subjects looked at equations they had previously rated as beautiful, it triggered activity in a part of the emotional brain associated with the experience of visual and musical beauty. The formula most commonly rated as beautiful in the study, in both the initial survey and the brain scan, was Euler’s equation, e i π + 1 = 0 . Inspired by this study, we have put together this infographic to dissect the Euler identity and try to understand why so many mathematicians are enamoured with this little equation. Let us know what you think of the infographic and what you think are the most beautiful equations. Either post a comment below this article, or let us know on Twitter using the hashtag #BeautifulEquations.
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[Blog](https://physicsworld.com/l/blog/) # What makes an equation beautiful? 14 May 2014 [James Dacey](https://physicsworld.com/author/james-dacey/) **By James Dacey** Earlier this year I wrote about a [psychology experiment](http://blog.physicsworld.com/2014/02/13/beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-mathematician/) that revealed that mathematicians appreciate beautiful equations in the same way that people experience great works of art. In the experiment, which conjures up a slightly comical scene, mathematicians were hooked up to a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine and asked to view a series of equations. When the subjects looked at equations they had previously rated as beautiful, it triggered activity in a part of the emotional brain associated with the experience of visual and musical beauty. The formula most commonly rated as beautiful in the study, in both the initial survey and the brain scan, was Euler’s equation, **e*i*π\+ 1 = 0**. Inspired by this study, we have put together this infographic to dissect the Euler identity and try to understand why so many mathematicians are enamoured with this little equation. Let us know what you think of the infographic and what you think are the most beautiful equations. Either post a comment below this article, or let us know on *Twitter* using the hashtag \#BeautifulEquations. ![Infographic about beautiful equations](https://physicsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/PW-beautiful-equation.png) ![](https://physicsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/square-crop-128x128.jpg) [James Dacey](https://physicsworld.com/author/james-dacey/) is a multimedia journalist based in Madrid [Back to Everyday science ![Everyday science](https://physicsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/category-icon-culture-history-society.svg)](https://physicsworld.com/c/culture-history-society/everyday-science/) [![Physics World Careers 2026 cover](https://physicsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/pwcareers2026-cover-listings-350x197.jpg) Physics World Careers Providing valuable careers advice and a comprehensive employer directory](https://physicsworld.com/p/physics-world-jobs-partner-network-jobs-hub/) #### [Read previous The biophysics of Godzilla, skipping stones, Schrödinger in the morning and more](https://physicsworld.com/a/the-biophysics-of-godzilla-skipping-stones-schrodinger-in-the-morning-and-more/) - 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Readable Markdown
**By James Dacey** Earlier this year I wrote about a [psychology experiment](http://blog.physicsworld.com/2014/02/13/beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-mathematician/) that revealed that mathematicians appreciate beautiful equations in the same way that people experience great works of art. In the experiment, which conjures up a slightly comical scene, mathematicians were hooked up to a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine and asked to view a series of equations. When the subjects looked at equations they had previously rated as beautiful, it triggered activity in a part of the emotional brain associated with the experience of visual and musical beauty. The formula most commonly rated as beautiful in the study, in both the initial survey and the brain scan, was Euler’s equation, **e*i*π\+ 1 = 0**. Inspired by this study, we have put together this infographic to dissect the Euler identity and try to understand why so many mathematicians are enamoured with this little equation. Let us know what you think of the infographic and what you think are the most beautiful equations. Either post a comment below this article, or let us know on *Twitter* using the hashtag \#BeautifulEquations. ![Infographic about beautiful equations](https://physicsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/PW-beautiful-equation.png)
Shard165 (laksa)
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