| What’s
pure math? |
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| Pure
math is a logical system based on assumptions, called |
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| axioms. It might be called a “game” of
inference. Math is |
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| as
real (and as abstract) as the game of chess. |
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| The
best book I know on the subject is WHAT IS |
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| MATHEMATICS,
REALLY? by Reuben Hersh (Oxford |
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| University
Press). |
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| For
a working definition of what pure math is, the best thing |
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| I
could recommend is the 65 page “NOTES” section of |
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| Hersh’s
book, which shows the core of math very cleanly, |
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| and
gives a feel for it. |
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