Download or read book Mathematical Rigour and Informal Proof written by Fenner Stanley Tanswell and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2024-03-28 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Element looks at the contemporary debate on the nature of mathematical rigour and informal proofs as found in mathematical practice. The central argument is for rigour pluralism: that multiple different models of informal proof are good at accounting for different features and functions of the concept of rigour. To illustrate this pluralism, the Element surveys some of the main options in the literature: the 'standard view' that rigour is just formal, logical rigour; the models of proofs as arguments and dialogues; the recipe model of proofs as guiding actions and activities; and the idea of mathematical rigour as an intellectual virtue. The strengths and weaknesses of each are assessed, thereby providing an accessible and empirically-informed introduction to the key issues and ideas found in the current discussion.
Download or read book Rigor and Structure written by John P. Burgess and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While we are commonly told that the distinctive method of mathematics is rigorous proof, and that the special topic of mathematics is abstract structure, there has been no agreement among mathematicians, logicians, or philosophers as to just what either of these assertions means. John P. Burgess clarifies the nature of mathematical rigor and of mathematical structure, and above all of the relation between the two, taking into account some of the latest developments in mathematics, including the rise of experimental mathematics on the one hand and computerized formal proofs on the other hand. The main theses of Rigor and Structure are that the features of mathematical practice that a large group of philosophers of mathematics, the structuralists, have attributed to the peculiar nature of mathematical objects are better explained in a different way, as artefacts of the manner in which the ancient ideal of rigor is realized in modern mathematics. Notably, the mathematician must be very careful in deriving new results from the previous literature, but may remain largely indifferent to just how the results in the previous literature were obtained from first principles. Indeed, the working mathematician may remain largely indifferent to just what the first principles are supposed to be, and whether they are set-theoretic or category-theoretic or something else. Along the way to these conclusions, a great many historical developments in mathematics, philosophy, and logic are surveyed. Yet very little in the way of background knowledge on the part of the reader is presupposed.
Download or read book Mathematical Rigour and Informal Proof written by Fenner Stanley Tanswell and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2024-03-31 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Element looks at the contemporary debate on the nature of mathematical rigour and informal proofs as found in mathematical practice. The central argument is for rigour pluralism: that multiple different models of informal proof are good at accounting for different features and functions of the concept of rigour. To illustrate this pluralism, the Element surveys some of the main options in the literature: the 'standard view' that rigour is just formal, logical rigour; the models of proofs as arguments and dialogues; the recipe model of proofs as guiding actions and activities; and the idea of mathematical rigour as an intellectual virtue. The strengths and weaknesses of each are assessed, thereby providing an accessible and empirically-informed introduction to the key issues and ideas found in the current discussion.
Download or read book Proofs and Refutations written by Imre Lakatos and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1976 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Proofs and Refutations is for those interested in the methodology, philosophy and history of mathematics.
Download or read book Proofs and Fundamentals written by Ethan D. Bloch and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-02-15 with total page 378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Proofs and Fundamentals: A First Course in Abstract Mathematics” 2nd edition is designed as a "transition" course to introduce undergraduates to the writing of rigorous mathematical proofs, and to such fundamental mathematical ideas as sets, functions, relations, and cardinality. The text serves as a bridge between computational courses such as calculus, and more theoretical, proofs-oriented courses such as linear algebra, abstract algebra and real analysis. This 3-part work carefully balances Proofs, Fundamentals, and Extras. Part 1 presents logic and basic proof techniques; Part 2 thoroughly covers fundamental material such as sets, functions and relations; and Part 3 introduces a variety of extra topics such as groups, combinatorics and sequences. A gentle, friendly style is used, in which motivation and informal discussion play a key role, and yet high standards in rigor and in writing are never compromised. New to the second edition: 1) A new section about the foundations of set theory has been added at the end of the chapter about sets. This section includes a very informal discussion of the Zermelo– Fraenkel Axioms for set theory. We do not make use of these axioms subsequently in the text, but it is valuable for any mathematician to be aware that an axiomatic basis for set theory exists. Also included in this new section is a slightly expanded discussion of the Axiom of Choice, and new discussion of Zorn's Lemma, which is used later in the text. 2) The chapter about the cardinality of sets has been rearranged and expanded. There is a new section at the start of the chapter that summarizes various properties of the set of natural numbers; these properties play important roles subsequently in the chapter. The sections on induction and recursion have been slightly expanded, and have been relocated to an earlier place in the chapter (following the new section), both because they are more concrete than the material found in the other sections of the chapter, and because ideas from the sections on induction and recursion are used in the other sections. Next comes the section on the cardinality of sets (which was originally the first section of the chapter); this section gained proofs of the Schroeder–Bernstein theorem and the Trichotomy Law for Sets, and lost most of the material about finite and countable sets, which has now been moved to a new section devoted to those two types of sets. The chapter concludes with the section on the cardinality of the number systems. 3) The chapter on the construction of the natural numbers, integers and rational numbers from the Peano Postulates was removed entirely. That material was originally included to provide the needed background about the number systems, particularly for the discussion of the cardinality of sets, but it was always somewhat out of place given the level and scope of this text. The background material about the natural numbers needed for the cardinality of sets has now been summarized in a new section at the start of that chapter, making the chapter both self-contained and more accessible than it previously was. 4) The section on families of sets has been thoroughly revised, with the focus being on families of sets in general, not necessarily thought of as indexed. 5) A new section about the convergence of sequences has been added to the chapter on selected topics. This new section, which treats a topic from real analysis, adds some diversity to the chapter, which had hitherto contained selected topics of only an algebraic or combinatorial nature. 6) A new section called ``You Are the Professor'' has been added to the end of the last chapter. This new section, which includes a number of attempted proofs taken from actual homework exercises submitted by students, offers the reader the opportunity to solidify her facility for writing proofs by critiquing these submissions as if she were the instructor for the course. 7) All known errors have been corrected. 8) Many minor adjustments of wording have been made throughout the text, with the hope of improving the exposition.
Download or read book Lectures on the Philosophy of Mathematics written by Joel David Hamkins and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2021-03-09 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An introduction to the philosophy of mathematics grounded in mathematics and motivated by mathematical inquiry and practice. In this book, Joel David Hamkins offers an introduction to the philosophy of mathematics that is grounded in mathematics and motivated by mathematical inquiry and practice. He treats philosophical issues as they arise organically in mathematics, discussing such topics as platonism, realism, logicism, structuralism, formalism, infinity, and intuitionism in mathematical contexts. He organizes the book by mathematical themes--numbers, rigor, geometry, proof, computability, incompleteness, and set theory--that give rise again and again to philosophical considerations.
Download or read book Handbook of the History and Philosophy of Mathematical Practice written by Bharath Sriraman and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on with total page 3221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Elements of Mathematics written by Nicolas Bourbaki and published by . This book was released on 1968 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Argument of Mathematics written by Andrew Aberdein and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-07-01 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by experts in the field, this volume presents a comprehensive investigation into the relationship between argumentation theory and the philosophy of mathematical practice. Argumentation theory studies reasoning and argument, and especially those aspects not addressed, or not addressed well, by formal deduction. The philosophy of mathematical practice diverges from mainstream philosophy of mathematics in the emphasis it places on what the majority of working mathematicians actually do, rather than on mathematical foundations. The book begins by first challenging the assumption that there is no role for informal logic in mathematics. Next, it details the usefulness of argumentation theory in the understanding of mathematical practice, offering an impressively diverse set of examples, covering the history of mathematics, mathematics education and, perhaps surprisingly, formal proof verification. From there, the book demonstrates that mathematics also offers a valuable testbed for argumentation theory. Coverage concludes by defending attention to mathematical argumentation as the basis for new perspectives on the philosophy of mathematics.
Download or read book Connecting Mathematics and Mathematics Education written by Erich Christian Wittmann and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-12-09 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book features a selection of articles written by Erich Ch. Wittmann between 1984 to 2019, which shows how the “design science conception” has been continuously developed over a number of decades. The articles not only describe this conception in general terms, but also demonstrate various substantial learning environments that serve as typical examples. In terms of teacher education, the book provides clear information on how to combine (well-understood) mathematics and methods courses to benefit of teachers. The role of mathematics in mathematics education is often explicitly and implicitly reduced to the delivery of subject matter that then has to be selected and made palpable for students using methods imported from psychology, sociology, educational research and related disciplines. While these fields have made significant contributions to mathematics education in recent decades, it cannot be ignored that mathematics itself, if well understood, provides essential knowledge for teaching mathematics beyond the pure delivery of subject matter. For this purpose, mathematics has to be conceived of as an organism that is deeply rooted in elementary operations of the human mind, which can be seamlessly developed to higher and higher levels so that the full richness of problems of various degrees of difficulty, and different means of representation, problem-solving strategies, and forms of proof can be used in ways that are appropriate for the respective level. This view of mathematics is essential for designing learning environments and curricula, for conducting empirical studies on truly mathematical processes and also for implementing the findings of mathematics education in teacher education, where it is crucial to take systemic constraints into account.
Download or read book Mathematical Statistical Mechanics written by Colin J. Thompson and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2015-03-08 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While most introductions to statistical mechanics are either too mathematical or too physical, Colin Thompson's book combines mathematical rigor with familiar physical materials. Following introductory chapters on kinetic theory, thermodynamics, the Gibbs ensembles, and the thermodynamic limit, later chapters discuss the classical theories of phase transitions, the Ising model, algebraic methods and combinatorial methods for solving the two-dimensional model in zero field, and some applications of the Ising model to biology. Originally published in 1979. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
Download or read book Proof in Mathematics Education written by David A. Reid and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2010-01-01 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Research on teaching and learning proof and proving has expanded in recent decades. This reflects the growth of mathematics education research in general, but also an increased emphasis on proof in mathematics education.
Download or read book Objectivity Realism and Proof written by Francesca Boccuni and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-07-05 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume covers a wide range of topics in the most recent debates in the philosophy of mathematics, and is dedicated to how semantic, epistemological, ontological and logical issues interact in the attempt to give a satisfactory picture of mathematical knowledge. The essays collected here explore the semantic and epistemic problems raised by different kinds of mathematical objects, by their characterization in terms of axiomatic theories, and by the objectivity of both pure and applied mathematics. They investigate controversial aspects of contemporary theories such as neo-logicist abstractionism, structuralism, or multiversism about sets, by discussing different conceptions of mathematical realism and rival relativistic views on the mathematical universe. They consider fundamental philosophical notions such as set, cardinal number, truth, ground, finiteness and infinity, examining how their informal conceptions can best be captured in formal theories. The philosophy of mathematics is an extremely lively field of inquiry, with extensive reaches in disciplines such as logic and philosophy of logic, semantics, ontology, epistemology, cognitive sciences, as well as history and philosophy of mathematics and science. By bringing together well-known scholars and younger researchers, the essays in this collection – prompted by the meetings of the Italian Network for the Philosophy of Mathematics (FilMat) – show how much valuable research is currently being pursued in this area, and how many roads ahead are still open for promising solutions to long-standing philosophical concerns. Promoted by the Italian Network for the Philosophy of Mathematics – FilMat
Download or read book Logical Reasoning with Diagrams written by Gerard Allwein and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1996 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Information technology has lead to an increasing need to present information visually. This volume addresses the logical aspects of the visualization of information. Properties of diagrams, charts and maps are explored and their use in problem solving and
Download or read book Applied Asymptotic Analysis written by Peter David Miller and published by American Mathematical Soc.. This book was released on 2006 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a survey of asymptotic methods set in the current applied research context of wave propagation. It stresses rigorous analysis in addition to formal manipulations. Asymptotic expansions developed in the text are justified rigorously, and students are shown how to obtain solid error estimates for asymptotic formulae. The book relates examples and exercises to subjects of current research interest, such as the problem of locating the zeros of Taylor polynomials of entirenonvanishing functions and the problem of counting integer lattice points in subsets of the plane with various geometrical properties of the boundary. The book is intended for a beginning graduate course on asymptotic analysis in applied mathematics and is aimed at students of pure and appliedmathematics as well as science and engineering. The basic prerequisite is a background in differential equations, linear algebra, advanced calculus, and complex variables at the level of introductory undergraduate courses on these subjects. The book is ideally suited to the needs of a graduate student who, on the one hand, wants to learn basic applied mathematics, and on the other, wants to understand what is needed to make the various arguments rigorous. Down here in the Village, this is knownas the Courant point of view!! --Percy Deift, Courant Institute, New York Peter D. Miller is an associate professor of mathematics at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He earned a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Arizona and has held positions at the Australian NationalUniversity (Canberra) and Monash University (Melbourne). His current research interests lie in singular limits for integrable systems.
Download or read book The Philosophy of Mathematical Practice written by Paolo Mancosu and published by Oxford University Press on Demand. This book was released on 2008-06-19 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is an urgent need in philosophy of mathematics for new approaches which pay closer attention to mathematical practice. This book will blaze the trail: it offers philosophical analyses of important characteristics of contemporary mathematics and of many aspects of mathematical activity which escape purely formal logical treatment.
Download or read book Proof and the Art of Mathematics written by Joel David Hamkins and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2021-02-23 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How to write mathematical proofs, shown in fully-worked out examples. This is a companion volume Joel Hamkins's Proof and the Art of Mathematics, providing fully worked-out solutions to all of the odd-numbered exercises as well as a few of the even-numbered exercises. In many cases, the solutions go beyond the exercise question itself to the natural extensions of the ideas, helping readers learn how to approach a mathematical investigation. As Hamkins asks, "Once you have solved a problem, why not push the ideas harder to see what further you can prove with them?" These solutions offer readers examples of how to write a mathematical proofs. The mathematical development of this text follows the main book, with the same chapter topics in the same order, and all theorem and exercise numbers in this text refer to the corresponding statements of the main text.
