What is mathematics?
These days I am outside of mathematics looking in and my views of the subject are more complex than during the days when I was a professor and mathematician. Back in my math-prof days -- when I moaned about those who held the view that mathematics is merely computation -- I tried to explain to uncompreheding friends the role of calculation within mathematics with this analogy: computation is to mathematics as spelling is to poetry. But those for whom computation is all of their mathematics do not accept this argument. Indeed, I myself now have the notion that one can navigate life competently without algebra -- much as I get along without Spanish or Chinese. But I regret not knowing them -- they are, like algebra, among the world's important languages.
Showing posts with label elephant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elephant. Show all posts
Friday, January 14, 2011
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