Mathematics is a major cultural science with a history dating back to ancient times. However, it is also the driving force behind many modern technologies and has become a key technology in the Information Era. This fact contradicts the public image of mathematics, which is often seen as a closed world of theorems and arithmetic formulae.  However, there are mathematical methods and processes behind issues and problems such as data compression and data safety, traffic control, the optimization of financial instruments and non-destructive medical techniques.