What is Mathematics?

4th ed. Jan 2024; 3rd ed. May 2023; 2nd ed. Dec 2009; 1st ed. Sep 2004

“It is not philosophy but active experience in mathematics itself that alone can answer the question: `What is Mathematics?'” – Richard Courant & Herbert Robbins, 1941, What is Mathematics?, Oxford University Press)

“An adequate presentation of any science cannot consist of detailed information alone, however extensive. It must also provide a proper view of the essential nature of the science as a whole.” – Aleksandrov, 1956, Mathematics: Its Content, Methods, and Meaning

‘What is mathematics?’ Much ink has been spilled over this question, as can be seen from the selection of ten respected responses provided in the footnote1, with seven book-length answers, and three written in the current millenium. One might well ask, is there anything new that can be said, that should be said? We’ll start by clarifying what a good answer should look like, and then explore the answer proposed.

The rest of the paper follows the structure below:

   1. Criteria for a Good Definition of Mathematics
   2. Definition 1: covering mathematics up to the end of the 18th century (1790s)
   3. Two Perspectives 
       Mathematics as Dialectic (Lakatos)
       Mathematics shaped by its Anthropology (Hoyrup)
   4. Definition 2: covering all mathematics, including contemporary mathematics
   5. The emergence of contemporary mathematical practice from 1800s onward
   6. Three Facets of Mathematics
       1. Mathematics as an Empirical Science
       2. Mathematics as a Modeling Art
       3. Mathematics as an Axiomatic Arrangement of Knowledge
   7. Mathematics "from the inside": Mathematicians writing about Mathematics
   8. Continue Reading
   9. References

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  1. Responses from 1941 to 2017: (Courant, Robbins, 1941), (Alexandrov, Kolmogorov, Lavrentiv, 1963), (Renyi, 1967), (Halmos, 1973), (Lakatos, 1976), (Davis, Hersh, 1981), (MacLane, 1986), (Hersh, 2006), (Zeilberger, 2017), (Hoyrup, 2017), 7 books, 3 articles.

The Benefits of Enriched Mathematics Instruction

2nd ed. June 2023; 1st ed. April 2010

The term “mathematical maturity” is sometimes used as short-hand to refer to a blend of elements that distinguish students likely to be successful in mathematics. It is a mixture of mathematical interest, curiousity, creativity, persistence, adventurousness, intuition, confidence, and useful knowledge.[1],[2],[3]

With advances in machine learning, computer science, robotics, nano-materials, and many other quantitative, fascinating subjects, students today have increasingly more choice in technical studies besides mathematics. To attract and retain mathematics students, it is important that mathematics instruction be experienced as both intellectually and culturally rewarding in addition to being technically empowering. Losing students from mathematics who are otherwise capable, engaged and hard-working is tragic when it could have been avoided.

In this article, building on observations gained over the years teaching and coaching students in mathematics, we consider how enriched mathematics instruction (inquiry-based/discovery learning, historiography, great ideas/survey approaches, and philosophical/humanist) can help (1) develop mathematical maturity in students from at-risk backgrounds and prevent their untimely departure from quantitative studies, (2) strengthen the understanding of those that are already mathematically inclined, (3) expand mathematical and scientific literacy in the wider population.

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Sum of Integer Powers (Part 3)

(Discrete Mathematics Techniques III)

1st ed. Apr 2nd, 2010

Abstract
This is the last in the 3-part series of articles on finding for oneself the solution to the sum of integer power problem, and in the process discovering the Bernoulli numbers. In Part 3 (this paper), we find a direct closed-form solution, i.e. one that does not require iteration, for the general case of the finite-summation-of-integer-powers problem S_p(N) = \sum_{k=1}^{N} k^p. Having established in Part 2 that the closed-form solution is a polynomial, the summation is here rewritten as the sum of the p+1 independent monomials a_j N^j (1 \leq j \leq p+1), where the a_j are unknown coefficients. Using the recurrence relation S_p(N+1) = S_p(N) + (N+1)^p, we obtain a linear combination of the monomials, which reduces to an easily solvable (p+1)-by-(p+1) triangular linear system in the unknown coefficients a_j of the closed-form polynomial solution. Maxima and Octave/Matlab codes for directly computing the closed-form solutions are included in the Appendices.

A lovely paper by Bearden (March 1996, American Mathematical Monthly), which was shared with me by a reader, tells the mathematical story nicely, with much of the history filled in.

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Teaching Enriched Mathematics

Thoughts on Teaching Mathematics in an Exploratory, Dialectical, Topical format.

(2nd ed. July 13th 2016; 1st ed. Jan 31, 2010)

Mathematics is a richly spun tapestry, threaded with interconnections from a multiplicity of endeavors, perspectives, and disciplines, both theoretical and applied. Yet contrary to this “non-linear” reality, the typical pattern of school and even university mathematics is both linear and restricted.

This article takes a look at what lies behind the way things are, and what could bring positive change.

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The Mathematics of Duelling

Duelling with pistols. If you were the one issuing the challenge, your dilemma was that custom dictated that your adversary be allowed to shoot first. Only then, if you were still able to shoot, would you be permitted to seek “satisfaction”.

How much of an advantage does the first shooter really have? In this article, we build a simple probability model, and implement a numerical model in a few lines of R code.

Two gentleman face off in the snow.  Convention dictates the challenged shoots first.

Two gentleman face off in the snow. Convention dictates the challenged shoots first.

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A Course in the Philosophy and Foundations of Mathematics


An examination of mathematical methods and the search for mathematical meaning.

This article curates a reading list (most sources available freely online1) organized into a set of encounters that lie outside the standard mathematics curriculum. They are intended to enrich the reader’s understanding of mathematics and its place in scientific inquiry, increase her/his connection to the historical and philosophical questions behind the mathematics of the past and present, and gain greater satisfaction from further mathematical study. The reader should come away with a better understanding of the culture of mathematics: what mathematics is, mathematical method and meaning, and the relation of mathematics to the empirical world and to science.

We look at seven topics. These may be covered in any order, to suit your particular interests.

  1. What is Mathematics? (Its Nature and Characteristics)
  2. Reality, Truth, and the Nature of Mathematical Knowledge
  3. What is Proof? and the Problem of Certainty
  4. Some Readings in the History of Mathematics and the Evolution of Its Ideas
  5. The Search for Foundations in Mathematics
  6. Mathematics and Science
  7. Thoughts on Mathematical Practice and Mathematical Style

There is no core body of technical material to master in this course; the important thing is a feel for how, why, and in what context the core ideas of mathematics evolved, getting to the essence of their motivation, and understanding the fruits of these efforts. The course such as the below should appeal to all those who have an itch to scratch beneath the surface of mathematics, who find themselves asking “but why?”. It could be useful in all three tiers of education: secondary, post-secondary (undergraduate), and graduate, appropriately restructured.

  • Secondary school elective: to encourage bright students in mathematics, science and technology to enter the university with a broader perspective on the mathematics they will be rapidly learning there.
  • University elective course: offered as a writing-intensive seminar, intended primarily for students in the sciences and engineer: mathematics, physics, engineering.
  • Graduate level course: offered in the first year of graduate school in mathematics or applied mathematics as a supplementary seminar.

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  1. To ensure that the materials are always available for download, I am serving them from copies held on this site. If you are the author of any of these articles and would prefer to have the primary download originate from your site, please send me an email, and I will make the change.

Why Zero Raised to the Zero Power is defined to be One

Updated! February 5, 2017

The value of zero raised to the zero power, (0^0), has been discussed since the time of Euler in the 18th century (1700s). There are three reasonable choices: 1,0, or “indeterminate”. Despite consensus amongst mathematicians that the correct answer is one, computing platforms seem to have reached a variety of conclusions: Google, R, Octave, Ruby, and Microsoft Calculator choose 1; Hexelon Max and TI-36 calculator choose 0; and Maxima and Excel throw an error (indeterminate). In this article, I’ll explain why, for discrete mathematics, the correct answer cannot be anything other than 0^0=1, for reasons that go beyond consistency with the Binomial Theorem (Knuth’s argument).
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Catalysts in the Development of Mathematics

The development of mathematics has had many encouraging forces: societal, technological, cultural. These have served to accelerate mathematics and have been accelerated in turn, in many cases the pair becoming locked into a mutually beneficial resonance that has dramatically energized both.

In this article, I look at some of the significant catalysts, from the rise of the leisured class in ancient times to the impact of computing in modern times.
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The Development of Mathematics

The development of mathematics is intimately interwoven with society and culture, influencing the course of history through its applications to science and technology.

But mathematics itself has changed much over its history. Even the mathematics of the early 1800s can now seem quite strange, so great have been the changes in just the past 150 years as it has been reworked in the modern abstract approach. Though advanced mathematics may now appear arcane from the outside looking in, the present state of mathematics is the result of a natural evolution of the subject. And there is much excitement promised ahead with the rise of new mathematics and application areas in subatomic and quantum physics, in the the field of statistical learning (also called artificial intelligence or machine learning), and in numerical computing and simulation.

What follows is the story of mathematics, in a nutshell.

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Characteristics of Modern Mathematics

What are the characteristics of mathematics, especially contemporary mathematics?

I’ll consider five groups of characteristics:

  1. Applicability and Effectiveness,
  2. Abstraction and Generality,
  3. Simplicity,
  4. Logical Derivation, Axiomatic Arrangement,
  5. Precision, Correctness, Evolution through Dialectic…

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Dear Readers:

Welcome to the conversation!  We publish long-form pieces as well as a curated collection of spotlighted articles covering a broader range of topics.   Notifications for new long-form articles are through the feeds (you can join below).  We love hearing from you.  Feel free to leave your thoughts in comments, or use the contact information to reach us!

Reading List…

Looking for the best long-form articles on this site? Below is a curated list by the main topics covered.

Mathematics-History & Philosophy

  1. What is Mathematics?
  2. Prehistoric Origins of Mathematics
  3. The Mathematics of Uruk & Susa (3500-3000 BCE)
  4. How Algebra Became Abstract: George Peacock & the Birth of Modern Algebra (England, 1830)
  5. The Rise of Mathematical Logic: from Laws of Thoughts to Foundations for Mathematics
  6. Mathematical Finance and The Rise of the Modern Financial Marketplace
  7. A Course in the Philosophy and Foundations of Mathematics
  8. The Development of Mathematics
  9. Catalysts in the Development of Mathematics
  10. Characteristics of Modern Mathematics

Electronic & Software Engineering

  1. Electronics in the Junior School - Gateway to Technology
  2. Coding for Pre-Schoolers - A Turtle Logo in Forth
  3. Experimenting with Microcontrollers - an Arduino development kit for under £12
  4. Making Sensors Talk for under £5, and Voice Controlled Hardware
  5. Computer Programming: A brief survey from the 1940s to the present
  6. Forth, Lisp, & Ruby: languages that make it easy to write your own domain specific language (DSL)
  7. Programming Microcontrollers: Low Power, Small Footprints & Fast Prototypes
  8. Building a 13-key pure analog electronic piano.
  9. TinyPhoto: Embedded Graphics and Low-Fat Computing
  10. Computing / Software Toolkits
  11. Assembly Language programming (Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3)
  12. Bare Bones Programming: The C Language

Pure & Applied Mathematics

  1. Fuzzy Classifiers & Quantile Statistics Techniques in Continuous Data Monitoring
  2. LOGIC in a Nutshell: Theory & Applications (including a FORTH simulator and digital circuit design)
  3. Finite Summation of Integer Powers: (Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3)
  4. The Mathematics of Duelling
  5. A Radar Tracking Approach to Data Mining
  6. Analysis of Visitor Statistics: Data Mining in-the-Small
  7. Why Zero Raised to the Zero Power IS One

Technology: Sensors & Intelligent Systems

  1. Knowledge Engineering & the Emerging Technologies of the Next Decade
  2. Sensors and Systems
  3. Unmanned Autonomous Systems & Networks of Sensors
  4. The Advance of Marine Micro-ROVs

Math Education

  1. Teaching Enriched Mathematics, Part 1
  2. Teaching Enriched Mathematics, Part 2: Levelling Student Success Factors
  3. A Course in the Philosophy and Foundations of Mathematics
  4. Logic, Proof, and Professional Communication: five reflections
  5. Good mathematical technique and the case for mathematical insight

Explore…

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