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This article explores how our physical experiences shape mathematical concepts like numbers and lines.

June 20, 2026Open Access

Mathematics as Embodied Cognition: The Equation "M ≡ P + N"

Key Points

This article explores how our physical experiences shape mathematical concepts like numbers and lines.
Theoretical exploration of the relationship between mathematics and physical experiences.
Analysis of how gravity and vestibular sensations influence mathematical understanding.
Mathematics is proposed to equal the physics of gravity and the functions of our vestibular apparatus.
The sensation of up and down is linked to the concept of a straight line.
The experience of throwing a stone is connected to the formation of the concept of number.

Abstract

We are accustomed to thinking of mathematics as something ethereal, floating in a world of pure ideas. But what if arithmetic and geometry are merely a projection of our body and its struggle with Earth's gravity? This article reveals an unexpected thesis: mathematics literally equals the physics of gravity plus the work of our vestibular apparatus. Discover how the sensation of up and down gave rise to the "straight line," and the experience of throwing a stone gave rise to the concept of "number."

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