Is Mathematics an Invention or Discovery?

 Okay first thing first, What's the difference between Invention and Discovery?                                             Invention means creating something which doesn't exist previously. Like Graham Bell "invented" the Telephone. Telephone doesn't exist before 1876, it's a purely new concept and thing that's why it's an invention.. Discovery means something that exists before but nobody witnessed, finding such a thing is an Discovery. Like Columbus "discovered" America because before 1492 America never had been known or put into a global map. So it was an discovery of America.  

 Now as you understand the difference, let's analyze the title of this blog. Shall we?                                      This gonna be my personal views. Your point of view can be different than mine. First I shall give some facts I know, then from those I shall assume a possible answer. Obviously it's really hard to come a conclusion of this type of questions. But I want you to think of your own.                                                                 Let's analyze both sides first. Then we will try to give some conclusions.

• What if Mathematics an Invention:                                                                                                         In this scenario, maybe some ancient Greeks were trying to solve some advance problems and they managed to find 'Mathematics', an analytical tool to find a reasonable solution. As we know from the definition of Invention, then Mathematics is just a concept which seems to work great.                                                                                                                                                             Now what does that mean? It means that Mathematics is an Idea that humans have created. And we're not perfect. We may be the most advanced and developed species out there but we are also the product of this universe. There are lots of examples you can find in internet which easily trick our brain. So something that have come from our brain will able to conquer all the secrets of the universe -  looks like too optimistic. Now definitely AI have the potential. But it seems unlikely that they could be any help in the field of innovation. So, Mathematics as an invention doesn't look to fulfill our ultimate goals.                                                                                              
• What if Mathematics a Discovery:                                                                                                            Consider a situation where we able to get the Nature as the way it is through Mathematics, as the Astrophysicists describe Mathematics " The language of the Universe". Then this could be undoubtedly the most significant discovery by mankind. As this is the way nature works we could definitely find those answers that we are looking for thousands of years.                                                   We can draw another significant conclusion from here. We are never assured about how we should contact the Aliens. Well if Mathematics is the Universal Language and Aliens are advanced enough to contact and reach us back then by that time Aliens would have also come across to the universal language. So undoubtedly Mathematics would be the way to contact with ET. So, Mathematics as a discovery has infinite consequences.                                                                                     
• My Conclusion:                                                                                                                                          I know this is not best of a question. Because this type of questions don't have any answers. This is just an argument. But I think particularly this question has so much significance. So there's nothing wrong to explore it more.                                                                                                     Now my turn. Have you ever wondered how a theory got approved? It's not just you make a mathematically correct theory and it got approved. You may wonder if Mathematics is a discovery then there's no wrong with the mathematics here. But why the theory has to go with reality check before approving?                                                                                                                  Everybody know Albert Einstein right? One of his greatest contributions is General Theory of Relativity. But do you know this theory was published in 1916 but never got accepted until 1919 when English Astronomer Arthur Eddington and later by other scientists proved his theory right by checking natural phenomenon(bending of light around sun during total solar eclipse).                                                     You can feel it right where I'm going with this !!! That means, it's not about just about Mathematics. Mathematics is just working as a stimulation to better explain the Nature. This couldn't be the consequence if Mathematics is a Discovery.                                                                                                                     So, the conclusion that I get from the entire discussion is that Mathematics may be just an Invention but undoubtedly it has make us the most advanced species in the world. But being the part of the nature it would be tough for us to conquer it with our own inventions. But who knows may be just may be our inventions became that advance that it would be able to give some reasonable answers of the questions that our ancestors were looking for thousands of years. Let's hope for the best.