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On the Mathematics of Spilt Milk

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The Growth of Mathematical Knowledge

Part of the book series: Synthese Library ((SYLI,volume 289))

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Abstract

The future dimensions of mathematical progress are probably harder to forecast than philosophy sometimes presumed. An unblinking trust in the notion of a possible structure has persuaded many philosophers that mathematics’ future can be outlined definitely enough to be broadly characterizable as “the science of all possible structures.” I believe that such a picture usually ignores some basic questions about mathematics’ capabilities.

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References

  • Field, H. (1980). Science Without Numbers. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

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  • Hadamard, Jacques. (1952). Lectures on Cauchy’s Problem. New York: Dover. Poincaré. (1952). “Analysis and Physics.” Translated by W. J. G. Science and Hypothesis. New York: Dover.

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  • Smith, D. E. and Latham, M. L. (1954). The Geometry. New York: Dover. Zemanian, A. H. (1965). Distribution Theory and Transform Analysis. New York: Dover.

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© 2000 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Wilson, M. (2000). On the Mathematics of Spilt Milk. In: Grosholz, E., Breger, H. (eds) The Growth of Mathematical Knowledge. Synthese Library, vol 289. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9558-2_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9558-2_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5391-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-015-9558-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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