# The Neuroanatomy of Mathematics **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2007, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neuroanatomy-of-mathematics/403253 "2007-05-08T15:11:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neuroanatomy-of-mathematics/403253/1 "2007-05-08T15:11:18Z")
Not a too far-fetched question, I fear…but I was just wondering, by any chance, has modern neuroscience discovered if any specific area of the human brain is responsible for math skills (like Broca’s Area is involved with language, or the hippocampus is involved with memory)? I’m a little rusty in this area of study, I’m afraid, so I don’t know if there have been any recent discoveries, old established ones that I’m forgetting, or bizarre little Oliver Sacks stories that I overlooked. Can…anyone enlighten me? ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neuroanatomy-of-mathematics/403253/2 "2007-05-10T19:53:05Z")
I’ll bump it. Actually, I’d be more interested in knowing what area of the brain controls people being proud of not knowing mathematics when they wouldn’t be caught dead admitting they haven’t read a given famous literary work. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neuroanatomy-of-mathematics/403253/3 "2007-05-10T21:17:17Z")
As you know, math has both a computational side and a visualizing side. Simple computation lives in the so-called _angular_ gyrus on the left side of the brain at the junction of the parietal and temporal lobes, quite close to part of the language centre. Interestingly, damage to this area leads to not just _acalculia_, but also to [Gerstmann’s Syndrome](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerstmann%27s_syndrome): acalculia, left-right confusion and finger agnosia (the inability to recognize and distinguish among the fingers) (and, despite what the Wiki link says, agraphia is not generally considered part of the syndrome). On the other hand, spatial visualization seems to be dependent on the right parietal lobe and, to a lesser extent, the left one too (i.e. a much coarser localization than the relatively small angular gyrus). I haven’t found a concise link (yet). ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neuroanatomy-of-mathematics/403253/4 "2007-05-10T22:20:25Z")
There’s also a strong need for abstract reasoning skills. Do we know where those are situated? ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neuroanatomy-of-mathematics/403253/5 "2007-05-10T22:27:47Z")
[QUOTE=ultrafilter] There’s also a strong need for abstract reasoning skills. Do we know where those are situated? [/QUOTE] It’s in there somewhere… I have a nonconstructive proof of its existence. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neuroanatomy-of-mathematics/403253/6 "2007-05-10T22:37:33Z")
[QUOTE=Mathochist] Actually, I’d be more interested in knowing what area of the brain controls people being proud of not knowing mathematics when they wouldn’t be caught dead admitting they haven’t read a given famous literary work. [/QUOTE] Does this actually happen? Certainly people are unusually content to be ignorant of mathematics, and in particular to develop the mental stumbling block of thinking that they are somehow pathologically incapable of grasping math (rather like those who say “I can’t draw” rather than merely “I haven’t learnt or practiced to draw”), but are there really many people who take pride in this ignorance? As for your nonconstructive proof of existence, I dare say, the brain being presumably finite, we could constructivize it with enough trial-and-error debilitating surgery (in the name of science!). ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neuroanatomy-of-mathematics/403253/7 "2007-05-11T01:32:27Z")
I once read about a lightening calculator who was a shepherd as a child, with little opportunity to speak and his speech was retarded. Later, after he grew up his speech became normal, but he lost his calculating ability. Something similar hapens to some autists. This suggests, at least, the possibility that some of the same brain centers are used for both. For myself, me feeling is that my geometric visualization abilities are quite modest. Abstract algebra was what got me interested in algebra and it is still what interests me. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neuroanatomy-of-mathematics/403253/8 "2007-05-11T01:39:39Z")
**KarlGauss** —oh, _cool_. Thank you…just what I was looking for! [QUOTE=Indistinguishable] As for your nonconstructive proof of existence, I dare say, the brain being presumably finite, we could constructivize it with enough trial-and-error debilitating surgery (in the name of science!). [/QUOTE] A man after my own heart. B) Feel like helping me write a grant proposal for this? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neuroanatomy-of-mathematics/403253/9 "2007-05-11T20:13:50Z")
Here’s a 1999 article that claims it could be the inferior parietal lobule. [It's Not Just Einstein: Study Shows Differences In Male Brain | ScienceDaily](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/12/991209161140.htm) But there might have been contrary research since then. ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neuroanatomy-of-mathematics/403253/10 "2007-05-12T15:33:21Z")
[QUOTE=Indistinguishable] Does this actually happen? Certainly people are unusually content to be ignorant of mathematics, and in particular to develop the mental stumbling block of thinking that they are somehow pathologically incapable of grasping math (rather like those who say “I can’t draw” rather than merely “I haven’t learnt or practiced to draw”), but are there really many people who take pride in this ignorance? [/QUOTE] People are not only unusually content to be ignorant, they are unusually content to _admit_ to their ignorance. I count that. ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neuroanatomy-of-mathematics/403253/11 "2007-05-12T15:39:48Z")
[QUOTE=Hari Seldon] For myself, me feeling is that my geometric visualization abilities are quite modest. Abstract algebra was what got me interested in algebra and it is still what interests me. [/QUOTE] So do you think you might come up with an approach to n-categories that’s not totally wedded to homotopy theory? ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neuroanatomy-of-mathematics/403253/12 "2007-05-12T20:15:31Z")
[QUOTE=Mathochist] People are not only unusually content to be ignorant, they are unusually content to _admit_ to their ignorance. I count that. [/QUOTE] Ah, yes, that is certainly true. And very sad.