What Is Math About? - 4 Weeks

Tu+Fri, 6-8pm ET
4 weeks, March 4-28

Mathematics undergirds much of the natural sciences, and appears to offer the very model of certainty. But, what is mathematics… about? Are mathematical objects real, or fictional? Are they socially constructed? Or, are they nature's language? As we endeavor to explain what physicist Eugene Wigner called “the unreasonable effectiveness” of mathematics in science, this course will examine theories of mathematical ontology across history, including: Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, and several modern physicists.

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Instructor: Erikk Geannikis is a PhD Candidate in philosophy at The Catholic University of America, specializing in Ancient Greek thought, philosophy of math and physics, and the history of ideas. He has taught philosophy, literature, and media studies for over ten years, and produces the podcast The Relentless Picnic.