Re: OT: In the 'ignorance on parade' file

In a message dated 13.08.2001 03:12:08 PM, yl112@CORNELL.EDU writes:

>But mathematics *as a human realm of endeavor* most certainly changes;
>or
>to put it another way, the human conception of mathematics changes.
>Whether you believe there exists "out there" a "pure" and discoverable
>but
>not-invented realm of mathematics (platonism) or that it's all an
>artificial game played to artificial rules (formalism) or even that, since
>it's all human-devised, nothing beyond the bounds of (finite) human
>devision as some conceive it should be included, like infinities
>(constructivism)--if nothing else, the way we play the game does change.
>When they teach high school calculus they sure don't use Newton's fluxions.
>   :-)  Or geometry: you could certainly argue that non-Euclidean
>geometries were "out there" all along
    AFAIK ya forgot _Ethnomathematics_ - the comparartive study of
mathematical systems or worldviewpoints from the mathematical perspective,
hehe.

    IIRC we had discussions on math systems in natlangs & conlangs just 8-9
months ago. Fascinating stuff...

    czHANg

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