(no subject)
Oct. 27th, 2003 12:40 amMathematics of this century succeeded in harmonizing and unifying diverse fields on a scale probably never seen before. The most prominent role in this unification was played by set theory. Initially conceived by Cantor as a new chapter of mathematics, "the theory of infinity", set theory, gradually changed its status and developed into the
universal mathematical language. It was understood that starting with a rather short list of basic terms and operations, one could generate recursively the linguistic constructions which apparently conveyed equally well the intuition of the founding fathers of calculus, probability, number theory, topology, differential geometry and what not. Thus the whole mathematical community acquired a common idiom. Moreover, allowing the clear distinction
between the set-theoretic and geometric content of the mathematical constructions on the one hand, and their flexible linguistic expression (notations, formulas, calculation) on the other, set theory greatly simplified the interaction between the right and left brains of every working mathematician as an individual. This two-fold function of the set-theoretic
language became the basis for the development of new technical tools, for the solution of old problems as well as the formulation of research programs.
( Read more... )
universal mathematical language. It was understood that starting with a rather short list of basic terms and operations, one could generate recursively the linguistic constructions which apparently conveyed equally well the intuition of the founding fathers of calculus, probability, number theory, topology, differential geometry and what not. Thus the whole mathematical community acquired a common idiom. Moreover, allowing the clear distinction
between the set-theoretic and geometric content of the mathematical constructions on the one hand, and their flexible linguistic expression (notations, formulas, calculation) on the other, set theory greatly simplified the interaction between the right and left brains of every working mathematician as an individual. This two-fold function of the set-theoretic
language became the basis for the development of new technical tools, for the solution of old problems as well as the formulation of research programs.
( Read more... )