Mathematics is the only branch of science that will continue long after the universe ends.:-)
Math is literally made up. There is no physical basis for math. Math is just another language used to describe things. The universe doesn’t care whether there’s “2 particles” or “1 particle and another particle” or “1 particle + 1 particle”. It doesn’t make these distinctions. Math only exists as long as there is an intelligent species which uses it. If there are no intelligent brains capable of using math and with a knowledge that it exists, math stops existing.
Except there is math in nature, such as fractals, the Fibonacci sequence, and the wave behavior or sound and light. Sure nature doesn’t have any awareness of doing math, but it is there. Not all math is made up just for our understanding.
That’s kinda the point though. Math is a language inspired by reality. It describes the logical relationships between things in an abstract format. Physical sciences like physics or chemistry build off it by adding rules and units to more accurately describe or predict real-world relationships, but at the end of the day, it’s all made up. Nature isn’t doing math to create a fractal any more than you’re doing math when you move your fingers or toes. Math doesn’t create a fractal, it describes it! You can then use that description to create a fractal, but the fractal isn’t math.
Math isn’t really made up. It’s an innate property of the universe at minimum being interpreted by humans as numbers and equations.
It can also literally be what the universe is made of.
PBS Spacetime https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F__elfR3w8c
Pretty sure that when humanity dies, math dies with it, and the universe won’t give two fucks about it and continue on it’s merry way.
