Sperimentare con i triangoli

It is possible to argue that the only ‘genuine’ experiments in mathematics are in fact thought experiments. Nevertheless, one preliminary question is to ask what genuine mathematica experiments are, and whether the activity of experimentation is a proper mathematical activity. In this article, I wil...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Valeria Giardino
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Rosenberg & Sellier 2009-10-01
Series:Rivista di Estetica
Online Access:http://journals.openedition.org/estetica/1832
Description
Summary:It is possible to argue that the only ‘genuine’ experiments in mathematics are in fact thought experiments. Nevertheless, one preliminary question is to ask what genuine mathematica experiments are, and whether the activity of experimentation is a proper mathematical activity. In this article, I will consider which kind of conception of mathematics allows for the existence of experiments in mathematics and I will present the constraints these experiments are subject to. Then, I will discuss three examples to arrive at a general conclusion: experimentation is indeed a genuine mathematical activity, but its mechanisms are particular with respect to experimentation in the natural sciences.
ISSN:0035-6212
2421-5864