🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 131 (from laksa141)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa131.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical, ml_categories_json AS ml_categories_json, ml_types_json AS ml_types_json, ml_intent_types_json AS ml_intent_types_json, meta_language AS meta_language, attrs_author AS attrs_author, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(attrs_publish_time), 0) AS attrs_publish_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(attrs_original_publish_time), 0) AS attrs_original_publish_time, ifNull(attrs_is_republished, 0) AS attrs_is_republished, ifNull(attrs_nr_words, 0) AS attrs_nr_words, ifNull(attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words, 0) AS attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words, ifNull(body_ext_links_number, 0) AS body_ext_links_number, ifNull(body_int_links_number, 0) AS body_int_links_number, ifNull(meta_nofollow, 0) AS meta_nofollow, ifNull(meta_noarchive, 0) AS meta_noarchive, ifNull(props_was_rendered, 0) AS props_was_rendered, ifNull(src_redirect, \'\') AS src_redirect, ifNull(download_time_msec, 0) AS download_time_msec, ifNull(download_ttfb_msec, 0) AS download_ttfb_msec, ifNull(download_size, 0) AS download_size FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.huffpost.com/entry/beautiful-math-equations-brain-great-art_n_4789667\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.huffpost.com/entry/beautiful-math-equations-brain-great-art_n_4789667\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/beautiful-math-equations-brain-great-art_n_4789667","crawl_time":1774844329,"first_indexed_time":1554982989,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,huffpost!www,\/entry\/beautiful-math-equations-brain-great-art_n_4789667 s443","src_root_hash":"7163340351271652531","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Here's Proof That Beautiful Math Equations Affect The Brain Just Like Great Art | HuffPost Impact","meta_descriptions":["Famous Formulas Affect The Brain Just Like Great Art, Study Shows"],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"What's beautiful to you? A sunset? The face of a loved one? A favorite poem or song?\nMathematicians sometimes say they find beauty in mathematical formulas, and a new brain scan study confirms that\nequations can activate the brain\nin much the same way that great art does.\n\"To many of us, mathematical formulae appear dry and inaccessible, but\nto a mathematician an equation can embody the quintessence of beauty\n,\" study author\nDr. Semir Zeki\n, professor of neuroesthetics at University College London, said in a written statement. \"The beauty of a formula may result from simplicity, symmetry, elegance or the expression of an immutable truth.\"\nFor the study, which was\npublished in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience\n, Zeki and his colleagues recruited from local colleges 16 male and female mathematicians between the ages of 22 and 32. The mathematicians were asked to review 60 mathematical formulas and to rate them on a scale ranging from minus five (ugly) to plus five (beautiful). Two weeks later they re-rated the equations while in a functional MRI (fMRI) scanner.\nfMRI scanners\nshow neurological activity\nby measuring changes in the flow of blood inside the brain. The scans in the study showed that appreciating beautiful formulas is correlated with activity in the medial orbito-frontal cortex, a region at the front of the brain. Appreciating art or music is correlated with activity in that same region.\nSrinivasa Ramanujan's infinite series (below) and Riemann's functional equation didn't fare well in the study. They were rated ugliest.\nSrinivasa Ramanujan’s infinite series of 1\/pi, which was rated as the ugliest mathematical formula.\nWhich of the 60 math formulas were rated as especially beautiful? There were three: the Pythagorean identity, the Cauchy-Riemann equations, and\nLeonhard Euler's identity\n(see above, top).\n\"\nIt's a real classic\n, and you can do no better than that,\" Dr. David Percy, a professor affiliated with the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications in the U.K., told the BBC about Euler's identity. \"It is simple to look at and yet incredibly profound, it comprises the five most important mathematical constants... It also comprises the three most basic arithmetic operations--addition, multiplication, and exponentiation.\"\nDr. Steven Strogatz, professor of applied mathematics at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, offered a different take on the new research. \"Some beautiful equations are like art, but others are more like great jokes,\" he told The Huffington Post in an email. \"They're surprising and true at the same time. That's what makes them so delightful.\"\nDefend Truth.\nDefend\nDemocracy.\nYour Support\nFuels\nOur Mission\nYour Support\nFuels\nOur Mission\nSupport HuffPost\nWith the administration challenging the Court and Congress, independent reporting is the only thing standing between you and the noise. Your membership funds the courage to ask the hard questions. Don't let the truth be sidelined.\nWe remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.\nThank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever.\nWe hope you will join us once again\n.\nWe remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.\nThank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever.\nWe hope you will join us once again\n.\n“Our fierce, independent reporting and unvarnished perspective hold power to account and inform millions of readers. Please support this hard-hitting journalism.”\nSupport $5\n\/month\nSilver\nMonthly recurring supporter-only email\nFewer requests for financial support\nSupport $10\n\/month\nGold\nEverything in the Silver Tier\nAd-free access on the HuffPost website OR HuffPost apps\nSay goodbye to annoying video interruptions while you read. 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See today’s top stories [here.](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/)\n\n# Here's Proof That Beautiful Math Equations Affect The Brain Just Like Great Art\nFamous Formulas Affect The Brain Just Like Great Art, Study Shows\n\n[![David Freeman](https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/55a95cb91700002400bafa9f.jpg?ops=100_100)](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/author\/david-freeman)\n\nBy [David Freeman](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/author\/david-freeman)\n\nManaging Editor of Impact & Innovation, The Huffington Post\n\nFeb 17, 2014, 12:16 PM EST\n\n\\|\n\n**Updated** Dec 6, 2017\n\nLeave a Comment\n\nWhat's beautiful to you? A sunset? The face of a loved one? A favorite poem or song?\n\nMathematicians sometimes say they find beauty in mathematical formulas, and a new brain scan study confirms that [equations can activate the brain](http:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/smart-news\/grasping-elegant-mathematical-formula-activates-same-brain-region-music-and-art-180949745\/) in much the same way that great art does.\n\n\"To many of us, mathematical formulae appear dry and inaccessible, but [to a mathematician an equation can embody the quintessence of beauty](http:\/\/www.ucl.ac.uk\/news\/news-articles\/0214\/13022014-Mathematical-beauty-activates-same-brain-region-as-great-art-Zeki),\" study author [Dr. Semir Zeki](http:\/\/www.ucl.ac.uk\/cdb\/research\/zeki), professor of neuroesthetics at University College London, said in a written statement. \"The beauty of a formula may result from simplicity, symmetry, elegance or the expression of an immutable truth.\"\n\nAdvertisement\n\nFor the study, which was [published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience](http:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/Journal\/10.3389\/fnhum.2014.00068\/full), Zeki and his colleagues recruited from local colleges 16 male and female mathematicians between the ages of 22 and 32. The mathematicians were asked to review 60 mathematical formulas and to rate them on a scale ranging from minus five (ugly) to plus five (beautiful). Two weeks later they re-rated the equations while in a functional MRI (fMRI) scanner.\n\nfMRI scanners [show neurological activity](http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Functional_magnetic_resonance_imaging) by measuring changes in the flow of blood inside the brain. The scans in the study showed that appreciating beautiful formulas is correlated with activity in the medial orbito-frontal cortex, a region at the front of the brain. Appreciating art or music is correlated with activity in that same region.\n\nSrinivasa Ramanujan's infinite series (below) and Riemann's functional equation didn't fare well in the study. They were rated ugliest.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n![final formula](https:\/\/i.huffpost.com\/gen\/1627230\/thumbs\/o-FINAL-FORMULA-570.jpg?1)  \n*Srinivasa Ramanujan’s infinite series of 1\/pi, which was rated as the ugliest mathematical formula.*\n\nWhich of the 60 math formulas were rated as especially beautiful? There were three: the Pythagorean identity, the Cauchy-Riemann equations, and [Leonhard Euler's identity](http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Euler's_identity) (see above, top).\n\n\"[It's a real classic](http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-26151062), and you can do no better than that,\" Dr. David Percy, a professor affiliated with the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications in the U.K., told the BBC about Euler's identity. \"It is simple to look at and yet incredibly profound, it comprises the five most important mathematical constants... It also comprises the three most basic arithmetic operations--addition, multiplication, and exponentiation.\"\n\nDr. Steven Strogatz, professor of applied mathematics at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, offered a different take on the new research. \"Some beautiful equations are like art, but others are more like great jokes,\" he told The Huffington Post in an email. \"They're surprising and true at the same time. That's what makes them so delightful.\"\n\nAdvertisement\n\nDefend Truth.DefendDemocracy.\n\nYour SupportFuelsOur Mission\n\nYour SupportFuelsOur Mission\n\nSupport HuffPost\n\nWith the administration challenging the Court and Congress, independent reporting is the only thing standing between you and the noise. Your membership funds the courage to ask the hard questions. Don't let the truth be sidelined.\n\nWe remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.\n\nThank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. [We hope you will join us once again](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/support).\n\nWe remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.\n\nThank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. [We hope you will join us once again](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/support).\n\n“Our fierce, independent reporting and unvarnished perspective hold power to account and inform millions of readers. Please support this hard-hitting journalism.”\n\n![Whitney Snyder](https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/691c87541700009d2b9c5f37.jpg?ops=300_300)\n\nWhitney SnyderEditor-in-Chief HuffPost\n\nMonthly\n\nAnnuallySAVE 16%\n\nSupport \\$5\/month\n\nSilver\n\n- Monthly recurring supporter-only email\n- Fewer requests for financial support\n\nSupport \\$10\/month\n\nGold\n\n- Everything in the Silver Tier\n- Ad-free access on the HuffPost website OR HuffPost apps\n- Say goodbye to annoying video interruptions while you read. No more autoplay videos.\n\nSupport \\$20\/month\n\nPlatinum\n\n- Everything in the Gold Tier\n- Ad-free access on the HuffPost website AND HuffPost apps\n- Early access to new features\n- Membership to Platinum Club focus group\n\nMake a One Time Contribution\n\n[Join HuffPost](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/payment-recurring?utm_campaign=end-of-article-web&price_id=60aa25bc-05fd-4404-a5f2-f7516f23fa16)\n\nAlready a member? [Log in to hide these messages.](https:\/\/login.huffpost.com\/login?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Fbeautiful-math-equations-brain-great-art_n_4789667%3Fhp_auth_done%3D1)\n\nRelated\n\n[Daily Discovery](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/impact\/topic\/daily-discovery)[Mathematics](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/impact\/topic\/mathematics)[math](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/impact\/topic\/mathematics)[science](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/topic\/science)[Video](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/news\/topic\/hpvideo)\n\n[Go to Homepage](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/)\n\nLeave a Comment\n\nSuggest a correction\n\n\\|\n\n[Submit a tip](https:\/\/tips.huffpost.com\/)\n\nAdvertisement\n\n## From Our Partner\n\n## From Our Partner\nHuffPost Shopping's  \nBest Finds\n\nON THIS DAY IN  \nHUFFINGTON POST HISTORY\n\nMarch 30\n\nPolitics\n\n[Sunday Roundup](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/sunday-roundup_275_b_2984913)\n\n2013\n\nPolitics\n\n[Matt Gaetz Under Investigation For Possible Sexual Relations With Teenager: Report](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/matt-gaetz-sexual-relationship-teenager_n_60639d30c5b6d34efbc649b1)\n\n2021\n\nHome & Living\n\n[This New Type Of Scam Call Is Really Terrifying People. 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You are also agreeing to our [Terms of Service](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/static\/user-agreement) and [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/static\/privacy-policy).\n\nClose\n\nTrending In Science\n\nMore In Science\n\n[NEWS](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/news\/)[POLITICS](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/news\/politics)[ENTERTAINMENT](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entertainment\/)[LIFE](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/life\/)[VOICES](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/voices\/)[HUFFPOST PERSONAL](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/section\/huffpost-personal)[SHOPPING](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/life\/huffpost-shopping)[NEWSLETTERS](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/newsletters)\n\n[About Us](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/static\/about-us)[Advertise](https:\/\/advertise.buzzfeed.com\/)[Contact Us](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/static\/contact-us)[RSS](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/syndication)[FAQ](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/static\/faq)[Careers](https:\/\/www.buzzfeed.com\/about\/jobs)[User Agreement](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/static\/user-agreement)[Comment Policy](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/static\/comment-policy)[DMCA Policy](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/static\/huffpost-dmca-copyright-policy)[Accessibility Statement](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/static\/accessibility-statement)[Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/static\/privacy-policy)[Consent Preferences](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/static\/consent-preferences)\n\nPrivacy Settings\n\nPart of HuffPost Science. ©2026 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved.\n\nThe Huffington Post\n\n![](https:\/\/sb.scorecardresearch.com\/p?c1=2&c2=6723616&c3=&c4=&c5=&c6=&c15=&cj=1)","attrs_readable_markdown":"What's beautiful to you? A sunset? The face of a loved one? A favorite poem or song?\n\nMathematicians sometimes say they find beauty in mathematical formulas, and a new brain scan study confirms that [equations can activate the brain](http:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/smart-news\/grasping-elegant-mathematical-formula-activates-same-brain-region-music-and-art-180949745\/) in much the same way that great art does.\n\n\"To many of us, mathematical formulae appear dry and inaccessible, but [to a mathematician an equation can embody the quintessence of beauty](http:\/\/www.ucl.ac.uk\/news\/news-articles\/0214\/13022014-Mathematical-beauty-activates-same-brain-region-as-great-art-Zeki),\" study author [Dr. Semir Zeki](http:\/\/www.ucl.ac.uk\/cdb\/research\/zeki), professor of neuroesthetics at University College London, said in a written statement. \"The beauty of a formula may result from simplicity, symmetry, elegance or the expression of an immutable truth.\"\n\nFor the study, which was [published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience](http:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/Journal\/10.3389\/fnhum.2014.00068\/full), Zeki and his colleagues recruited from local colleges 16 male and female mathematicians between the ages of 22 and 32. The mathematicians were asked to review 60 mathematical formulas and to rate them on a scale ranging from minus five (ugly) to plus five (beautiful). Two weeks later they re-rated the equations while in a functional MRI (fMRI) scanner.\n\nfMRI scanners [show neurological activity](http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Functional_magnetic_resonance_imaging) by measuring changes in the flow of blood inside the brain. The scans in the study showed that appreciating beautiful formulas is correlated with activity in the medial orbito-frontal cortex, a region at the front of the brain. Appreciating art or music is correlated with activity in that same region.\n\nSrinivasa Ramanujan's infinite series (below) and Riemann's functional equation didn't fare well in the study. They were rated ugliest.\n\n![final formula](https:\/\/i.huffpost.com\/gen\/1627230\/thumbs\/o-FINAL-FORMULA-570.jpg?1)  \n*Srinivasa Ramanujan’s infinite series of 1\/pi, which was rated as the ugliest mathematical formula.*\n\nWhich of the 60 math formulas were rated as especially beautiful? There were three: the Pythagorean identity, the Cauchy-Riemann equations, and [Leonhard Euler's identity](http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Euler's_identity) (see above, top).\n\n\"[It's a real classic](http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-26151062), and you can do no better than that,\" Dr. David Percy, a professor affiliated with the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications in the U.K., told the BBC about Euler's identity. \"It is simple to look at and yet incredibly profound, it comprises the five most important mathematical constants... It also comprises the three most basic arithmetic operations--addition, multiplication, and exponentiation.\"\n\nDr. Steven Strogatz, professor of applied mathematics at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, offered a different take on the new research. \"Some beautiful equations are like art, but others are more like great jokes,\" he told The Huffington Post in an email. \"They're surprising and true at the same time. That's what makes them so delightful.\"\n\nDefend Truth.DefendDemocracy.\n\nYour SupportFuelsOur Mission\n\nYour SupportFuelsOur Mission\n\nSupport HuffPost\n\nWith the administration challenging the Court and Congress, independent reporting is the only thing standing between you and the noise. Your membership funds the courage to ask the hard questions. Don't let the truth be sidelined.\n\nWe remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.\n\nThank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. [We hope you will join us once again](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/support).\n\nWe remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.\n\nThank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. [We hope you will join us once again](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/support).\n\n“Our fierce, independent reporting and unvarnished perspective hold power to account and inform millions of readers. Please support this hard-hitting journalism.”\n\n![Whitney Snyder](https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/691c87541700009d2b9c5f37.jpg?ops=300_300)\n\nSupport \\$5\/month\n\nSilver\n\n- Monthly recurring supporter-only email\n- Fewer requests for financial support\n\nSupport \\$10\/month\n\nGold\n\n- Everything in the Silver Tier\n- Ad-free access on the HuffPost website OR HuffPost apps\n- Say goodbye to annoying video interruptions while you read. No more autoplay videos.\n\nSupport \\$20\/month\n\nPlatinum\n\n- Everything in the Gold Tier\n- Ad-free access on the HuffPost website AND HuffPost apps\n- Early access to new features\n- Membership to Platinum Club focus group\n\nMake a One Time Contribution\n\n[Join HuffPost](https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/payment-recurring?utm_campaign=end-of-article-web&price_id=60aa25bc-05fd-4404-a5f2-f7516f23fa16)\n\nAlready a member? 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Here's Proof That Beautiful Math Equations Affect The Brain Just Like Great Art | HuffPost Impact

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What's beautiful to you? A sunset? The face of a loved one? A favorite poem or song? Mathematicians sometimes say they find beauty in mathematical formulas, and a new brain scan study confirms that equations can activate the brain in much the same way that great art does. "To many of us, mathematical formulae appear dry and inaccessible, but to a mathematician an equation can embody the quintessence of beauty ," study author Dr. Semir Zeki , professor of neuroesthetics at University College London, said in a written statement. "The beauty of a formula may result from simplicity, symmetry, elegance or the expression of an immutable truth." For the study, which was published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience , Zeki and his colleagues recruited from local colleges 16 male and female mathematicians between the ages of 22 and 32. The mathematicians were asked to review 60 mathematical formulas and to rate them on a scale ranging from minus five (ugly) to plus five (beautiful). Two weeks later they re-rated the equations while in a functional MRI (fMRI) scanner. fMRI scanners show neurological activity by measuring changes in the flow of blood inside the brain. The scans in the study showed that appreciating beautiful formulas is correlated with activity in the medial orbito-frontal cortex, a region at the front of the brain. Appreciating art or music is correlated with activity in that same region. Srinivasa Ramanujan's infinite series (below) and Riemann's functional equation didn't fare well in the study. They were rated ugliest. Srinivasa Ramanujan’s infinite series of 1/pi, which was rated as the ugliest mathematical formula. Which of the 60 math formulas were rated as especially beautiful? There were three: the Pythagorean identity, the Cauchy-Riemann equations, and Leonhard Euler's identity (see above, top). " It's a real classic , and you can do no better than that," Dr. David Percy, a professor affiliated with the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications in the U.K., told the BBC about Euler's identity. "It is simple to look at and yet incredibly profound, it comprises the five most important mathematical constants... It also comprises the three most basic arithmetic operations--addition, multiplication, and exponentiation." Dr. Steven Strogatz, professor of applied mathematics at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, offered a different take on the new research. "Some beautiful equations are like art, but others are more like great jokes," he told The Huffington Post in an email. "They're surprising and true at the same time. That's what makes them so delightful." Defend Truth. Defend Democracy. Your Support Fuels Our Mission Your Support Fuels Our Mission Support HuffPost With the administration challenging the Court and Congress, independent reporting is the only thing standing between you and the noise. Your membership funds the courage to ask the hard questions. Don't let the truth be sidelined. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again . We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again . “Our fierce, independent reporting and unvarnished perspective hold power to account and inform millions of readers. Please support this hard-hitting journalism.” Support $5 /month Silver Monthly recurring supporter-only email Fewer requests for financial support Support $10 /month Gold Everything in the Silver Tier Ad-free access on the HuffPost website OR HuffPost apps Say goodbye to annoying video interruptions while you read. No more autoplay videos. Support $20 /month Platinum Everything in the Gold Tier Ad-free access on the HuffPost website AND HuffPost apps Early access to new features Membership to Platinum Club focus group Make a One Time Contribution Join HuffPost Already a member? Log in to hide these messages. Related Daily Discovery Mathematics math science Video

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HuffPost reports on the real economy – the one that impacts you. [Join HuffPost](https://www.huffpost.com/support?utm_campaign=banner-web) Already a member? [Log in to hide these messages.](https://login.huffpost.com/login?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Fbeautiful-math-equations-brain-great-art_n_4789667%3Fhp_auth_done%3D1) This article is more than 12 years old. See today’s top stories [here.](https://www.huffpost.com/) # Here's Proof That Beautiful Math Equations Affect The Brain Just Like Great Art Famous Formulas Affect The Brain Just Like Great Art, Study Shows [![David Freeman](https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/55a95cb91700002400bafa9f.jpg?ops=100_100)](https://www.huffpost.com/author/david-freeman) By [David Freeman](https://www.huffpost.com/author/david-freeman) Managing Editor of Impact & Innovation, The Huffington Post Feb 17, 2014, 12:16 PM EST \| **Updated** Dec 6, 2017 Leave a Comment What's beautiful to you? A sunset? The face of a loved one? A favorite poem or song? Mathematicians sometimes say they find beauty in mathematical formulas, and a new brain scan study confirms that [equations can activate the brain](http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/grasping-elegant-mathematical-formula-activates-same-brain-region-music-and-art-180949745/) in much the same way that great art does. "To many of us, mathematical formulae appear dry and inaccessible, but [to a mathematician an equation can embody the quintessence of beauty](http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0214/13022014-Mathematical-beauty-activates-same-brain-region-as-great-art-Zeki)," study author [Dr. Semir Zeki](http://www.ucl.ac.uk/cdb/research/zeki), professor of neuroesthetics at University College London, said in a written statement. "The beauty of a formula may result from simplicity, symmetry, elegance or the expression of an immutable truth." Advertisement For the study, which was [published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience](http://www.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00068/full), Zeki and his colleagues recruited from local colleges 16 male and female mathematicians between the ages of 22 and 32. The mathematicians were asked to review 60 mathematical formulas and to rate them on a scale ranging from minus five (ugly) to plus five (beautiful). Two weeks later they re-rated the equations while in a functional MRI (fMRI) scanner. fMRI scanners [show neurological activity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_magnetic_resonance_imaging) by measuring changes in the flow of blood inside the brain. The scans in the study showed that appreciating beautiful formulas is correlated with activity in the medial orbito-frontal cortex, a region at the front of the brain. Appreciating art or music is correlated with activity in that same region. Srinivasa Ramanujan's infinite series (below) and Riemann's functional equation didn't fare well in the study. They were rated ugliest. Advertisement ![final formula](https://i.huffpost.com/gen/1627230/thumbs/o-FINAL-FORMULA-570.jpg?1) *Srinivasa Ramanujan’s infinite series of 1/pi, which was rated as the ugliest mathematical formula.* Which of the 60 math formulas were rated as especially beautiful? There were three: the Pythagorean identity, the Cauchy-Riemann equations, and [Leonhard Euler's identity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler's_identity) (see above, top). "[It's a real classic](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26151062), and you can do no better than that," Dr. David Percy, a professor affiliated with the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications in the U.K., told the BBC about Euler's identity. "It is simple to look at and yet incredibly profound, it comprises the five most important mathematical constants... It also comprises the three most basic arithmetic operations--addition, multiplication, and exponentiation." Dr. Steven Strogatz, professor of applied mathematics at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, offered a different take on the new research. "Some beautiful equations are like art, but others are more like great jokes," he told The Huffington Post in an email. "They're surprising and true at the same time. That's what makes them so delightful." Advertisement Defend Truth.DefendDemocracy. Your SupportFuelsOur Mission Your SupportFuelsOur Mission Support HuffPost With the administration challenging the Court and Congress, independent reporting is the only thing standing between you and the noise. Your membership funds the courage to ask the hard questions. Don't let the truth be sidelined. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. [We hope you will join us once again](https://www.huffpost.com/support). We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. [We hope you will join us once again](https://www.huffpost.com/support). “Our fierce, independent reporting and unvarnished perspective hold power to account and inform millions of readers. 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What's beautiful to you? A sunset? The face of a loved one? A favorite poem or song? Mathematicians sometimes say they find beauty in mathematical formulas, and a new brain scan study confirms that [equations can activate the brain](http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/grasping-elegant-mathematical-formula-activates-same-brain-region-music-and-art-180949745/) in much the same way that great art does. "To many of us, mathematical formulae appear dry and inaccessible, but [to a mathematician an equation can embody the quintessence of beauty](http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0214/13022014-Mathematical-beauty-activates-same-brain-region-as-great-art-Zeki)," study author [Dr. Semir Zeki](http://www.ucl.ac.uk/cdb/research/zeki), professor of neuroesthetics at University College London, said in a written statement. "The beauty of a formula may result from simplicity, symmetry, elegance or the expression of an immutable truth." For the study, which was [published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience](http://www.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00068/full), Zeki and his colleagues recruited from local colleges 16 male and female mathematicians between the ages of 22 and 32. The mathematicians were asked to review 60 mathematical formulas and to rate them on a scale ranging from minus five (ugly) to plus five (beautiful). Two weeks later they re-rated the equations while in a functional MRI (fMRI) scanner. fMRI scanners [show neurological activity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_magnetic_resonance_imaging) by measuring changes in the flow of blood inside the brain. The scans in the study showed that appreciating beautiful formulas is correlated with activity in the medial orbito-frontal cortex, a region at the front of the brain. Appreciating art or music is correlated with activity in that same region. Srinivasa Ramanujan's infinite series (below) and Riemann's functional equation didn't fare well in the study. They were rated ugliest. ![final formula](https://i.huffpost.com/gen/1627230/thumbs/o-FINAL-FORMULA-570.jpg?1) *Srinivasa Ramanujan’s infinite series of 1/pi, which was rated as the ugliest mathematical formula.* Which of the 60 math formulas were rated as especially beautiful? There were three: the Pythagorean identity, the Cauchy-Riemann equations, and [Leonhard Euler's identity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler's_identity) (see above, top). "[It's a real classic](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26151062), and you can do no better than that," Dr. David Percy, a professor affiliated with the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications in the U.K., told the BBC about Euler's identity. "It is simple to look at and yet incredibly profound, it comprises the five most important mathematical constants... It also comprises the three most basic arithmetic operations--addition, multiplication, and exponentiation." Dr. Steven Strogatz, professor of applied mathematics at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, offered a different take on the new research. "Some beautiful equations are like art, but others are more like great jokes," he told The Huffington Post in an email. "They're surprising and true at the same time. That's what makes them so delightful." Defend Truth.DefendDemocracy. Your SupportFuelsOur Mission Your SupportFuelsOur Mission Support HuffPost With the administration challenging the Court and Congress, independent reporting is the only thing standing between you and the noise. Your membership funds the courage to ask the hard questions. Don't let the truth be sidelined. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! 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David Freeman

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2014-02-17 17:16:59 (12 years ago)

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