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    Michel Giacometti
    This document provides an abstract for a talk on mathematical theories given by Prof. Marco Panza at the International Colloquium The Philosophers and Mathematics. The talk aims to advance a more general conception of mathematical theories. Specifically, it will suggest defining a mathematical theory as a system of permissions that license certain actions. Doing mathematics within a theory consists of acting according to these permissions, while shaping a theory involves fixing the permissions. Currently, theories are often defined as deductive closures of axiom systems, but this definition does not apply to many contexts usually called theories.

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    Abstract PDF

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    Michel Giacometti
    5 views1 page
    This document provides an abstract for a talk on mathematical theories given by Prof. Marco Panza at the International Colloquium The Philosophers and Mathematics. The talk aims to advance a more general conception of mathematical theories. Specifically, it will suggest defining a mathematical theory as a system of permissions that license certain actions. Doing mathematics within a theory consists of acting according to these permissions, while shaping a theory involves fixing the permissions. Currently, theories are often defined as deductive closures of axiom systems, but this definition does not apply to many contexts usually called theories.

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    This document provides an abstract for a talk on mathematical theories given by Prof. Marco Panza at the International Colloquium The Philosophers and Mathematics. The talk aims to advance a more general conception of mathematical theories. Specifically, it will suggest defining a mathematical theory as a system of permissions that license certain actions. Doing mathematics within a theory consists of acting according to these permissions, while shaping a theory involves fixing the permissions. Currently, theories are often defined as deductive closures of axiom systems, but this definition does not apply to many contexts usually called theories.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    5 views1 page

    Abstract PDF

    Uploaded by

    Michel Giacometti
    This document provides an abstract for a talk on mathematical theories given by Prof. Marco Panza at the International Colloquium The Philosophers and Mathematics. The talk aims to advance a more general conception of mathematical theories. Specifically, it will suggest defining a mathematical theory as a system of permissions that license certain actions. Doing mathematics within a theory consists of acting according to these permissions, while shaping a theory involves fixing the permissions. Currently, theories are often defined as deductive closures of axiom systems, but this definition does not apply to many contexts usually called theories.

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    of 1

    CenterforPhilosophyofScienceoftheUniversityofLisbon

    InternationalColloquiumThePhilosophersandMathematics

    Abstract
    WhatisaMathematicalTheory?

    Prof.MarcoPanza
    CentreNationaldelaRechercheScientifiqueCNRS,France

    Philosophyofmathematicalpracticeaimstoaphilosophicallyorientedstudyofsomesignificantaspects
    ofmathematics,asitisdoneandhasbeendoneinthepast.Itsmainaimistoelucidatethepeculiarnature
    oftheintellectualactivitythatdoingmathematicsconsistsin.Itismyconvictionthatanumberofessential
    aspects of this activitydepend either on its being performed within specific contexts, and on its being
    aimedtoshapesuchcontexts.Thegeneraltermscustomarilyusedtodenotethesecontextsistheory:
    speakingofmathematicaltheoriesispervasiveinmathematicalpractice,aswellasinmathematicallogic
    andinhistory,philosophy,didacticandsociologyofmathematics.Still,thistermisnotonlyoftenused
    eitherquitegenerically,withoutanyefforttogivetoitaprecisegeneralmeaning,orsoastoascribetoit
    arelativelyprecisemeaningwhichis,however,appropriateonlyforaquitespecificcontestofuse.Itisalso
    highlypolysemic.
    Accordingtoameaningofit,inwhichitisoftenused,overallinmathematicallogic,amathematicaltheory
    isthedeductiveclosureofasystemofaxioms(andinferencerules),namelythesetoftheoremsfollowing
    fromtheseaxioms.Underanumberofprovisions,thismeaningisquiteprecise.Still,itdoesnotapplyto
    alotofcontextsthatareusuallycalledtheories,andishighlyinappropriatetobeemployedforstudying
    them.Inmytalk,Illadvanceaconceptionofmathematicaltheoriesapttoamoregeneralapplication,
    according to which deductive closures of a systems of axioms are nothing but a particular kind of
    mathematicaltheories.Shortlyspeaking,Illsuggesttocalltheoryasystemofpermissions(differently
    statedindifferentcases)licensinganumberofactions.Doingmathematicswithinacertaintheoryconsists
    in acting according to these permissions. Shaping a mathematical theory consists in fixing these
    permissions.

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