Polychrome Math

Jacco van Loon

Do you also see yellow when you think of 2?
Does 4 appear green and 8 dark blue?
1 is white – of course – and 6 a ruby.
It needs no light – might as well be blind
for numbers to colour the eye of my mind.
T'is not the lime of 13, it's its sharp metallic sheen
that makes me avert mine, lest't cast a spell on me.
Most numbers are cold but plated in gold
5 comes to life
and 56 turned orange to no one's surprise
7 fills the senses with scents of cut grass
but 77 has def'nitely gone brown and by the time 
we get to 99, 20 more flamingos galore.
Something like "32465" dazzles with shades and tickles with hue
while 0's a circle, one sees right through o
colourful cocktails paint integrals gin, differentials bordeaux
vanilla pi, sigma is custard, e a berry and i cream.
There's power in numbers,
it's all of the rainbow
with sums and divisions I can do,
I wonder how much is cyan to you?

The Science

This poem seeks to describe the conscious neurological responses (`qualia') to true and abstract mathematical concepts, with an emphasis on numbers. It suggests how we do not experience the world in the mathematical sense even though we believe this is what describes the universal rules of engagement. A number only gains meaning from context or association, and that is precisely how the brain optimises memory, recall and learning. It also adds beauty to an otherwise sterile world, and makes us imaginative and creative. As a corollary, the poem explores identity and affinity and celebrates diversity in the mathematical sciences.

The Poet

Jacco van Loon (they/them) is a European astronomer who cares about how people see the world around them. They firmly believe that philosophy and art are necessary parts of a full scientific understanding. They are new to publishing poetry.

Next poem: Reflections on Holometaboly by Kristen Dachler Kapfer