1st Edition

Philosophy of Mathematics An Introduction to a World of Proofs and Pictures

By James Robert Brown Copyright 1999

    Philosophy of Mathematics is an excellent introductory text. This student friendly book discusses the great philosophers and the importance of mathematics to their thought. It includes the following topics:
    * the mathematical image
    * platonism
    * picture-proofs
    * applied mathematics
    * Hilbert and Godel
    * knots and nations
    * definitions
    * picture-proofs and Wittgenstein
    * computation, proof and conjecture.
    The book is ideal for courses on philosophy of mathematics and logic.

    Chapter 1 Introduction; Chapter 2 Platonism; Chapter 3 Picture-proofs and Platonism; Chapter 4 What is Applied Mathematics?; Chapter 5 Hilbert and Gödel; Chapter 6 Knots and Notation; Chapter 7 What is a Definition?; Chapter 8 Constructive Approaches; Chapter 9 Proofs, Pictures and Procedures in Wittgenstein; Chapter 10 Computation, Proof and Conjecture; Chapter 11 Calling the Bluff;

    Biography

    Brown, James Robert

    'This book discusses the great philosophers and the importance of mathematics to their thought.Among the topics coverd are; traditional topics in the philosopy of mathematics, such as platonism, formalism and constructivism; the nature of notion and the character definitions; contemporary computational techniques; current debates among mathematicians over the role of experiments in mathematics.'

    'This is a valuable and rather untraditional introduction to some major philosophical issues concerning mathematics.' - Mathematical Reviews