The senses of vision and hearing are commonly recognized as being important for the study of mathematics, with fields like geometry and topology relying heavily on vision, while algebra and number theory can be communicated through hearing alone. There are many examples of mathematicians who have made significant contributions to the field despite being blind or visually impaired. Some examples include Leonhard Euler, who continued to work on mathematics after losing his sight. So while vision is certainly a helpful sense for studying mathematics, it is not necessarily a requirement for success in the field.


However, it is worth considering whether other senses might also play a role in understanding mathematics. For example, in an episode of the TV show [The Big Bang Theory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Bang_Theory), a character ([Sheldon Cooper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheldon_Cooper)) said "prime numbers appearing red and twin primes smelling like gasoline." While this was likely just a joke, it raises the question of whether other senses, such as smell, could potentially be used to aid in mathematical understanding.


There may be other examples of mathematicians using senses other than vision and hearing to help them understand mathematical concepts. For instance, in a response to a question on MathOverflow [Thinking and Explaining](https://mathoverflow.net/questions/38639/thinking-and-explaining), Prof. Terence Tao mentioned rolling around on the floor with his eyes closed to help him understand the effect of a gauge transformation that involved different frequencies interacting with each other.


This question was prompted by the experience of preparing a math lecture for a general audience. While it is possible to use pictures, symbols, equations, and even music to convey mathematical concepts, all of them only rely on vision and hearing. I'm curious whether other senses are useful in doing math.


**Edit**
I'm sorry if my question might have caused any confusion or offense. Please know that I didn't mean any harm towards individuals who may have visual or hearing impairments. I was simply curious about how mathematicians engage other senses so I could gain new perspectives to learn and communicate math ideas to others. I'm very grateful for all the excellent answers and intriguing comments and it's extremely hard to decide which one I should accept.



Do mathematicians rely on senses other than vision and hearing?
Anecdotally, it seems that many mathematicians use gestures to aid in understanding, not only when explaining but also when thinking privately. I believe that while this is connected to vision, it is something more general about spatial and temporal metaphor that can be associated with touch and the perception of one’s body positions. Indeed, Einstein [reported](https://www.newscientist.com/letter/mg20627560-300-muscular-thinking/) using a “muscular type” of intuition.


