Related papers: Mathematical conceptualism
Mathematical proofs should be paired with formal proofs, whenever feasible.
This paper establishes grounds for deeper exploration into the question of dual nature of mathematics as an abstract discipline and as a concrete science. It is argued, as one of the consequences of the discussion, that the division into…
The purpose of this essay is to bring out the unique role of Mathematics in providing a base to the diverse sciences which conform to its rigid structure. Of these the physical and economic sciences are so intimately linked with…
Mathematical maturity is a key concept for the professional life of a mathematician. This paper is not only a brief discussion of the importance of mathematical maturity but also presents some unusual ways we can use the concept to help our…
We dwell on how a definition of a theoretical concept of an operating system, suitable to be incorporated in a mathematical theory of operating systems, could look like. This is considered a valuable preparation for the development of a…
Computability logic is a formal theory of computational tasks and resources. Its formulas represent interactive computational problems, logical operators stand for operations on computational problems, and validity of a formula is…
A proof is one of the most important concepts of mathematics. However, there is a striking difference between how a proof is defined in theory and how it is used in practice. This puts the unique status of mathematics as exact science into…
This is a very basic introduction to some notions related to logic and complexity.
The persisting gap between the formal and the informal mathematics is due to an inadequate notion of mathematical theory behind the current formalization techniques. I mean the (informal) notion of axiomatic theory according to which a…
Mathematical understanding is built in many ways. Among these, illustration has been a companion and tool for research for as long as research has taken place. We use the term illustration to encompass any way one might bring a mathematical…
I analyse the conceptual and mathematical foundations of Lagrangian quantum field theory (that is, the "naive" quantum field theory used in mainstream physics, as opposed to algebraic quantum field theory). The objective is to see whether…
Classification is an important goal in many branches of mathematics. The idea is to describe the members of some class of mathematical objects, up to isomorphism or other important equivalence in terms of relatively simple invariants. Where…
We discuss a formal system of mathematics. We use it to construct the natural numbers.
I discuss some problems related to extreme mathematical realism, focusing on a recently proposed "shut-up-and-calculate" approach to physics (arXiv:0704.0646, arXiv:0709.4024). I offer arguments for a moderate alternative, the essence of…
This book intends to give the main definitions and theorems in mathematics which could be useful for workers in theoretical physics. It gives an extensive and precise coverage of the subjects which are addressed, in a consistent and…
Is speculative mathematics dangerous? Recent interactions between physics and mathematics pose the question with some force: traditional mathematical norms discourage speculation, but it is the fabric of theoretical physics. In practice…
We give an overview of our philosophy of pictures in mathematics. We emphasize a bi-directional process between picture language and mathematical concepts: abstraction and simulation. This motivates a program to understand different…
It is rare to succeed in getting mathematics into ordinary conversation without meeting all kinds of reservations. In order to raise public awareness of mathematics effectively, it is necessary to modify such attitudes. In this paper, we…
Category theory provides an alternative to Hilbert's Formal Axiomatic method and goes beyond Mathematical Structuralism
Representations are essential to mathematically model phenomena, but there are many options available. While each of those options provides useful properties with which to solve problems related to the phenomena in study, comparing results…