Physics Commons^™

On The Reality Of Mathematics, Brendan Ortmann

Selected Student Publications

Mathematics is an integral cornerstone of science and society at large, and its implications and derivations should be considered. That mathematics is frequently abstracted from reality is a notion not countered, but one must also think upon its physical basis as well. By segmenting mathematics into its different, abstract philosophies and real-world applications, this paper seeks to peer into the space that mathematics seems to fill; that is, to understand how and why it works. Under mathematical theory, Platonism, Nominalism, and Fictionalism are analyzed for their validity and their shortcomings, in addition to the evaluation of infinities and infinitesimals, to …