Do mathematicians dream of sustainable cities? — Chapter zero

by Eleonora Andreotti

What do mathematicians think about when they stand in front of a blackboard filled with formulas?  

And what about when they stroll through a park, lost in thought?  

From the outside, mathematics may look like symbols and theorems, but behind them lie questions, intuitions, and images that sometimes travel far beyond their original purpose.  

Still, we are often told that mathematics is everywhere.  

But the mathematics that hides behind the flow of bicycles, the congestion of cars, or the arrangement of trees in a park, was it really invented by thinking about bikes, traffic, and trees?  

Most of the time, the answer is no.  

Yet those abstract ideas, born for other reasons, turn out to be perfect tools for understanding cities.  

In this series we will explore this journey, starting from the urban dimension we all share.  

Streets, shops, buses, and parks will serve as familiar ground to show how mathematics, often born in entirely different contexts, can illuminate the hidden patterns of urban life.  

No formulas are required, only curiosity and the willingness to look at the city with new eyes.  

The title, Do Mathematicians Dream of Sustainable Cities?, recalls Philip K. Dick’s question Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?.  

Just as we cannot know the dreams of androids, we cannot fully know what mathematicians “dream” of when they write formulas or let their mind wander.  

Yet those dreams can find their way into practice, shaping the world around us.  

Some of them already have: yesterday’s mathematics has guided engineers, planners, and architects in designing parks, building houses, and organizing urban mobility.  

Others still belong to the future: the cities of tomorrow will need the mathematics that has not yet been invented.  

The more bold, playful, and imaginative our ideas, the greater our chances of building cities that are sustainable, resilient, and kind to the planet.