Commentary: Quotations -- What is Mathematics?

 

            I put this sheet together one year for the first day of class in several of my courses.  I first had students write down their own definitions of mathematics, which almost all read something like, “Using numbers and formulas to solve problems.”  I then distributed this sheet.  Many students responded with surprise to the Buck quote, they had never thought of mathematics as creative at all.  Many chuckled at the Russell quote, relating only to the part about not knowing what they’re doing in mathematics.  8/05

 

 

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