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Towards a Philosophy of Real Mathematics David Corfield (University of Oxford)

Towards a Philosophy of Real Mathematics By David Corfield (University of Oxford)

Towards a Philosophy of Real Mathematics by David Corfield (University of Oxford)


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Summary

In this ambitious study, David Corfield sets out a variety of approaches to new thinking about the philosophy of mathematics, and challenges both philosophers and mathematicians to develop the broadest and richest philosophical resources for work in their disciplines.

Towards a Philosophy of Real Mathematics Summary

Towards a Philosophy of Real Mathematics by David Corfield (University of Oxford)

In this ambitious study, David Corfield attacks the widely held view that it is the nature of mathematical knowledge which has shaped the way in which mathematics is treated philosophically and claims that contingent factors have brought us to the present thematically limited discipline. Illustrating his discussion with a wealth of examples, he sets out a variety of approaches to new thinking about the philosophy of mathematics, ranging from an exploration of whether computers producing mathematical proofs or conjectures are doing real mathematics, to the use of analogy, the prospects for a Bayesian confirmation theory, the notion of a mathematical research programme and the ways in which new concepts are justified. His inspiring book challenges both philosophers and mathematicians to develop the broadest and richest philosophical resources for work in their disciplines and points clearly to the ways in which this can be done.

Towards a Philosophy of Real Mathematics Reviews

'Corfield's book as a whole is itself a fine specimen of a philosophical approach to mathematics that takes its questions and its resources from 'real' mathematics, showing convincingly the richness and fruitfulness of such an approach.' Philosophia Mathematica
'I found this book interesting and it is certainly worth looking at if only to increase one's sense of the possibilities for the philosophy of mathematics.' Metascience
'What is really special about the book under review is that it demonstrates a philosopher struggling to grapple with modern mathematics as it is actually carried out by practitioners. This is what the author means by 'real mathematics' as quoted in the book title.' Zentralblatt MATH

About David Corfield (University of Oxford)

David Corfield holds a Junior Lectureship in Philosophy of Science at the University of Oxford.

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Introduction: a role for history; Part I. Human and Artificial Mathematicians: 2. Communicating with automated theorem provers; 3. Automated conjecture formation; 4. The role of analogy in mathematics; Part II. Plausibility, Uncertainty and Probability: 5. Bayesianism in mathematics; 6. Uncertainty in mathematics and science; Part III. The Growth of Mathematics: 7. Lakatos's philosophy of mathematics; 8. Beyond the methodology of mathematical research programmes; 9. The importance of mathematical conceptualisation; Part IV. The Interpretation of Mathematics: 10. Higher dimensional algebra; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.

Additional information

NPB9780521817226
9780521817226
0521817226
Towards a Philosophy of Real Mathematics by David Corfield (University of Oxford)
New
Hardback
Cambridge University Press
2003-04-24
300
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
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