Related papers: Problems with Popper
Vladimir Andreevich Uspensky [1930-2018] was one of the Soviet pioneers of the theory of computation and mathematical logic in general (and my teacher and thesis advisor). This paper is the survey of his mathematical works and their…
The 19th century impressionist movement, as a reaction to "art pompier", is proposed as a comparison with modern evolutions in mathematics.
A test of quantum mechanics proposed by K. Popper and dealing with two-particle entangled states emitted from a fixed source has been criticized by several authors. Some of them claim that the test becomes inconclusive once all the quantum…
This paper discusses, from a mathematician's point of view, the thesis formulated by Israel Gelfand, one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century, and one of the pioneers of mathematical biology: "There is only one thing which is…
A thought experiment, proposed by Karl Popper, which has been experimentally realized recently, is critically examined. A basic flaw in Popper's argument which has also been prevailing in subsequent debates, is pointed out. It is shown that…
"Symmetry" was one of the most important methodological themes in 20th-century physics and is probably going to play no lesser role in physics of the 21st century. As used today, there are a variety of interpretations of this term, which…
The following notes are intended to make a small digression on the topics mentioned in the title of the same, since these were not addressed in the past tribute by the Institute of Physics of the UdeA. We believe more than platitude try to…
This is an overview of the life and works of Pavel Florensky, an important and singular figure of the period rightly described as the \emph{Silver Age of Russian mathematics}, with a substantial overlap with the \emph{Silver Age of Russian…
On January 4, 2012, the centenary of Henri Poincar\'e's death, a colloquium was held in Nancy, France the subject of which was "Vers une biographie d'Henri Poincar\'e". Scholars discussed several approaches for writing a biography of…
Mikhail Lomonosov (1711-1765) was a Russian polymath and one of the giants of the European Enlightenment. This English translation of his seminal work Oration on Benefits of Chemistry continues the series of translations of nine most…
Mikhail Lomonosov (1711-1765) is the eminent Russian polymath and a towering figure of the European Enlightenment. This English translation of his seminal work Discourse on Greater Accuracy of Navigation concludes the series of English…
This article is a reflection on the mathematical legacy of Professor Petr Simon.
In November 2014 Alexander Grothendieck passed away at the age of 86. There is no doubt that he was one of the greatest and most innovative mathematicians of the 20th century. After a bitter childhood, his meteoric ascent started in the…
The 75th anniversary of Turing's seminal paper and his centennial year anniversary occur in 2011 and 2012, respectively. It is natural to review and assess Turing's contributions in diverse fields in the light of new developments that his…
This article reflects on the life and mathematical contributions of Pierre Cartier, a distinguished figure in 20th- and 21st-century mathematics. As a key member of the Bourbaki collective, Cartier played a pivotal role in the formalization…
John Desmond Bernal (1901-1970) was one of the most eminent scientists in molecular biology, and also regarded as the founding father of the Science of Science. His book The Social Function of Science laid the theoretical foundations for…
This is a short, light spirited account of how some possibly important science actually happened. It very much conflicts with Popper's contention that the key to scientific progress is falsification.
I try to clarify several confusions in the popular literature concerning chaos, determinism, the arrow of time, entropy and the role of probability in physics. Classical ideas going back to Laplace and Boltzmann are explained and defended…
This contribution to the book in honour of J.S. Bell will probably differ from the remaining ones, in particular since only a part of it will be devoted to specific technical arguments. In fact I have considered appropriate to share with…
This brief text is in memory of Professor Ivan Kupka. It presents his vision, scientific life, his interest in mathematics and our join collaboration.