Mathematics as a Science of Patterns

ISBN-13: 9780198236085 / Angielski / Twarda / 1997 / 304 str.

Michael D. Resnik

Opis

This book expounds a system of ideas about the nature of mathematics which Michael Resnik has been elaborating for a number of years. In calling mathematics a science he implies that it has a factual subject-matter and that mathematical knowledge is on a par with other scientific knowledge; in calling it a science of patterns he expresses his commitment to a structuralist philosophy of mathematics. He links this to a defense of realism about the metaphysics of mathematics--the view that mathematics is about things that really exist.

Recenzje

For over twenty years, Michael D. Resnik has been crafting a philosophical view of mathematics: one remarkably sensitive to the opposing tensions that make philosophizing in this domain so difficult ... the resulting book is perfect for classroom use: it's extremely clear, and Resnik ensures that even the novice is with him at every stage ... It articulates an ambitious and forceful position, only parts of which most of us have seen before. I recommend it without reservation to everyone interested in these topics.