Experiencing mathematics : what do we do, when we do mathematics?

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Experiencing mathematics : what do we do, when we do mathematics?

Reuben Hersh

American Mathematical Society, c2014

Available at  / 5 libraries

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Includes bibliographical references and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

Most mathematicians, when asked about the nature and meaning of mathematics, vacillate between the two unrealistic poles of Platonism and formalism. By looking carefully at what mathematicians really do when they are doing mathematics, Reuben Hersh offers an escape from this trap. This book of selected articles and essays provides an honest, coherent, and clearly understandable account of mathematicians' proof as it really is, and of the existence and reality of mathematical entities. It follows in the footsteps of Poincare, Hadamard, and Polya. The pragmatism of John Dewey is a better fit for mathematical practice than the dominant ""analytic philosophy''. Dialogue, satire, and fantasy enliven the philosophical and methodological analysis. Reuben Hersh has written extensively on mathematics, often from the point of view of a philosopher of science. His book with Philip Davis, The Mathematical Experience, won the National Book Award in science.

Table of Contents

Preface Permissions and acknowledgments Acknowledgments Overture The ideal mathematician (with Philip J. Davis) Manifesto Self-introduction Chronology Mathematics has a front and a back Part I. Mostly for the right hand Introduction to part True facts about imaginary objects Mathematical intuition (Poincaré, Polya, Dewey) To establish new mathematics, we use our mental models and build on established mathematics How mathematicians convince each other or “The kingdom of math is within you” On the interdisciplinary study of mathematical practice, with a real live case study Wings, not foundations! Inner vision, outer truth Mathematical practice as a scientific problem Proving is convincing and explaining Fresh breezes in the philosophy of mathematics Definition of mathematics Introduction to "18 unconventional essays on the nature of mathematics" Part II. Mostly for the left hand Introduction to part 2 Rhetoric and mathematics (with Philip J. Davis) Math lingo vs. plain English: Double entendre Independent thinking The “origin” of geometry The wedding Mathematics and ethics Ethics for mathematicians Under-represented, then over-represented: A memoir of Jews in American mathematics Paul Cohen and forcing in 1963 Part III. Selected book reviews Introduction to part 3 Review of Not exactly ... in praise of vagueness by Kees van Deemter Review of How mathematicians think by William Byers Review of The mathematician’s brain by David Ruelle Review of Perfect rigor by Masha Gessen Review of Letters to a young mathematician by Ian Stewart Review of Number and numbers by Alain Badiou Part IV. About the author An amusing elementary example Annotated research bibliography Curriculum vitae List of articles Index

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