Platonism, intuition and the nature of mathematics
Date
1988
Authors
Podnieks, Karlis
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia
Abstract
Platonism is an essential aspect of mathematical method. Mathematicians are learned ability " t o l i v e " in the "world" of mathematical concepts. Here we have the main source of the creative power of mathematics, and of its surprising efficiency in natural sciences and technique. In this way, "living" (sometimes - for many years) in the "world"of their concepts and models, mathematicians are learned to draw a maximum of conclusions from a minimum of premises. Fixed system of basic principles is the distinguishing property of every mathematical theory. Mathematical model of some natural process or technical device is essentially a f i x e d m o d e l which can be investigated independently of its "original".
Description
Keywords
philosophy of mathematics , platonism , formalism , working mathematicians , intuition , nature of mathematics
Citation
Karlis Podnieks. Platonism, intuition and the nature of mathematics. Abstracts of: "Heyting'88. Summer School & Conference on Mathematical Logic, Chaika, Bulgaria, September 1988", Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1988, pp. 50-51.