[Xmca-l] Re: FW: grosholz

[Ed Wall]

Thanks

Yes, Wiles is a nice example of doing mathematics within a historical dimension.One part of the article bothered me when the author averred that Fermat would need to pick up the centuries between. Interestingly that is not what a student of mathematics who was born today would 'need' to do to enter the conversation. 

 I was listening to a presentation, you might say, on the 'true but unprovable'  (in the sense of Godel) by John Conway and he kept saying "I don't know if this is true, but …"; "I don't have a proof, but …" It was a serious mathematical presentation.

Ed Wall
   
On Nov 9, 2014, at  5:26 PM, Vera John-Steiner wrote:

> Hi,
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> I am forwarding an article by a philosopher of mathematics who addresses issues of narrative and logic as well as the role of history
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> in mathematics. Some of the article requires a familiarity with concepts in the field which are above my head, nevertheless it was a valuable
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> piece in the context of the current thread. 
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> Vera
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> From: reuben hersh [mailto:rhersh@gmail.com] 
> Sent: Friday, November 07, 2014 7:44 AM
> To: Vera John-Steiner
> Subject: grosholz
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> <Grosholz_Maths & History.pdf>