Mathematics

Welcome to the world of Magical Maths! Illénie is a Royal Mathematicians who designs new magical devices. When the king notices her and drags her into deadly court politics, it becomes harder for her to hide her chronic pain in a world that looks down on disabilities. Come read about her struggle!
Introduction to the story | Illénie (upcoming) | Novel upcoming

Career Advice: Mathematics

What is mathematics?

Mathematics are a language that we invented to describe the natural world and that we use to control it.

Definitions

Device: An object aiming to control the flows of magic so as to use it to accomplish a given objective. E.g., a piece of protective jewellery, a measure instrument, a weapon.

Objective: What you want the magic of a device to accomplish, what property you want to give it. E.g. protection, destruction.

Property: The effect of a given magic.

Channels: Lines made of different materials that attract, repulse, or direct magic. Channels are what makes up devices.

Design: The scheme according to which channels are traced and the combination of materials that make them.

Set: A small design that gives magic a given property. Several sets are combined together to form a full device, but each addition of a new set requires many modifications of the existing design to make them fit together.

Sector: Part of the drawing of a design, limited for ease of drawing on a piece of paper. This is different to drawing a set separately, as a sector includes the adaptations necessary to the combinations of several sets.

Clippable device or ensemble: An ensemble device made up of separate devices built to be able to be "clipped" together. The principle is similar to combining different sets to make one device, except that no adaptations are necessary once you add a new device (a new "cube") to the ensemble. This technique has been invented recently by our country and has been a revolution and has allowed for an explosion of mass production.

Cube: Each device that is clipped to make a bigger clippable device. The first one that were invented were cubes, hence the name, but this is no longer a requirement.

Auras: The innate magic of each individuals. Each aura has a different signature and different compatibility with each other and with each device. The only section of a clippable device that needs to be hand-made is the section controlling its compatibility with its user's aura.

Main types of devices:

Ward: Magic that affect a given area, often by giving it some protections against the outside.

Giver: Magic that gives someone or something specific properties.

Projector: Magic that is projected at someone or something, often a weapon.

Observer: Magic that merely "observe" an object, often to allow for a special vision or to measure.

Transformer: Magic that affect the structure of something or someone, often through metamorphosis or healing.

Trigger: Magic that triggers another magic, often a switch on a device or a conditional observer that triggers the magic once a condition is met.

Branches of mathematics

In order to design a magical device, 3 branches of mathematics have to be combined. Each is used to produce a different document, with the 7 resulting documents making up the mathematical file of the design. A mathematician can be specialised in a type of document or a branch of mathematics, but the best mathematicians can cover all the work in a single device. Traditionally, the best mathematicians were specialised, and provincial mathematicians were the only one doing an entire design by themselves. However, with the recent development of clippable devices, prestigious mathematicians have started to focus on the development of one cube and all of the documents it require.

Logic

Logic is used to determine how to combine different sets to give the device the desired magical properties. This produces a logical statement: The list of sets chosen, their order and relationship together, and the final properties, triggers, and conditions of the device.

Algebra

Algebra is used to solve the equations allowing for the chosen combination of sets and the adaptations required with the addition of each new set. This produces the following sets of equations and their solutions:

Geometrical equations

Magical conductivity equations

Combination equations

Geometry

Geometry is used to determine how to trace precisely the different sets that make up the design. This produces two documents:

The coordinates of each single points of the design, and the coordinate and angles of the lines between them.

Technical drawings of the design, with the design divided into sectors.

Other fields

Several other fields are ecessary to combine with mathematics to make devices. Most mathematicians are not expert in these fields, but some basical understanding is necessary to create a design that can be turned in an actual device and is not just a theoretical possibility.

Magical conductivity of each material

Chemistry to design each material

Process engineering to create each material

Metallurgy, sculpture, and art, to shape each metal, stone or pigmented material

Impact of mathematics on culture

Social classes

Mathematician is an extremely prestigious profession and Royal Mathematicians are the very best. Despite mathematicians not being necessarily very magically powerful, they are near the top of society, just below duellers and army officers.

Art

Our love of mathematics is what led us to choose our national emblem: the infinity symbol and the snowflake. The infinity symbol was chosen because it is a mathematical symbol and represent the infinite potential of our country, whereas the snowflake is a fractal and thus represents our love for complex geometry. Our country is also famous for our national abstract art, designed to combine beauty and mathematics and to show off our mathematicians skills. Our capital is filled with it, with the most famous examples of course being the Royal Mathematicians' Headquarters and the Royal Palace.

Idioms

He can't add numbers: He is an idiot.

It all adds up: I have solved the problem. It is perfect. It is all coming together.

I can do the maths: I am not an idiot. I understand.

To be square: To be be well done.

He's in a circle: He is well defended. (This referenced the fact that a circle is the most basic ward design).

His affaires are ordinal: They are well sorted and organised.

They've formed an equation: They are in a relationship together. (An equation is a relationships containing one or more unknown variables.)

An inequation: When there is a high social class difference between two persons. (An inequation is an inequality.)

To take something or someone out of the equation / Eliminate a parameter: Removing an obstacle. Kill someone.

They'll never balance the numbers: This will never work.

Divide and conquer: Make your enemies quarrel to break their alliance and defeat them one by one.

Translation: To move, to go somewhere.

We are congruent on this: We agree on this (from congruent = to have the same shape and size).

To be from a different reference frame: Made from a different mettle / To be very different.

Examples of current mathematical projects

Royal Mathematicians are currently working on a new set of canalization that will bing more water to the capital while desalinating it along the way! Read all about it in their last newsletter. Unfortunately, we do not have other current examples to share, as His Majesty has most Royal Mathematicians working on a very secret project...

Characters	Illénie Neurisse (upcoming) · King · Aquatirian Ambassador · Office pet
Politics	De Crancé's Political Alliance against the King · Duelling challenges against the King · Royal Council · Royal Scheming Group · Milarian Battalions · The enemy country—Aquatio · The three modern Aquatirian Wars
Duelling	Duelling Arena · Dueller Culture · Duelling Champion titles · Duelling Weapons
Society	Illénie's chronic disease · Milarian fashion · Ableist mindset
Locations	The capital of Milara, Lernée · Royal Mathematicians' Headquarters · Royal Palace · Royal Road Neighbourhood
Maths	Rules of Magic · Royal Mathematicians · Mathematics · Clippable Devices · Titanic architecture · Paint pigments for magical art · Royal Mathematicians' current projects · Royal Mathematicians' Charter
Potions	Potions · Potion-infused candies from the Royal Road shop · Potion ingredients

Entry for Worldbuilding Summer Camp 2025

Answering: "An ancient tongue from which many common idioms spring"

Visit AmélieIS's Competition Page Check all other answers to this prompt Competition Homepage

Comments

Author's Notes

If you have any ideas for other maths-derived idioms, please don't hesitate to suggest them :D

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Grandmaster Keon Croucher

Jul 20, 2025 14:06 by Keon Croucher

I like this, I mean there is some real truth to math is everywhere, if you think about it. As strange and distasteful as some of us might have found it (I didn't I enjoyed math honestly. Except for trig, trig can *** off a bridge.) Math is in many ways a true 'international' language of the universe. It transcends borders, linguistics, culture, its discipline cares not for which human tongue you speak. In that sense it is arguably a root language of the world in many ways. So I really love this spin for this prompt, well done Amelie, I'm certainly adding this to my collection :)

Keon Croucher, Chronicler of the Age of Revitalization

Eternal Sage AmélieIS

Jul 24, 2025 18:45 by Amélie I. S. Debruyne

Unfortunately for you, trig figures prominently in this universe version of magic! XD And yes, maths is really everywhere. I've switched science discipline a lot in my career already, but maths has always been with me XD Thanks a lot for your comment <3

To see what I am up to: my World Ember 2025.

Councilor of the Inner Sanctum Serukis

Jul 20, 2025 22:54 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Fascinating language article. My gut reaction is always 'ew maths' but I really enjoyed it at school. To many nightmares of maths exams I forgot to study for, I guess. Love the link to art and culture, as well as the idioms.

Emy x
Explore Etrea | WorldEmber 2025

Jul 24, 2025 18:43 by Amélie I. S. Debruyne

Thanks! I had a lot of fun with those idioms XD Maths is very fun, but so many people are always going "ew maths" that i almost also join by reflex! XD

Eternal Sage VariableX

Aug 4, 2025 21:37 by J. Variable X/0

I've always said that math is the cornerstone of existence itself and, as such, the first language ever.

Aug 13, 2025 09:51 by Amélie I. S. Debruyne

Mathematics really is everywhere XD Thanks for your comment! <3

Grandmaster Mekachu04

Aug 9, 2025 00:10 by Mekachu ZeroFour

oh! using maths like this is so very very clever! A+ i love the idea of it as a fill the summer camp prompt! truely, one of the most ancient of languages on top of everything else

Aug 13, 2025 11:27 by Amélie I. S. Debruyne

Thanks! <3 I love twisting the language prompts to make them all about my magic systems instead XD Usually I do "runes", but maths was a fun variation :D

Codex