rdf-syntax-grammar
mods:
  schema location: http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3 http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-2.xsd
  title info:
    title: Mathematical Explanation
    sub title: Examining Approaches to the Problem of Applied Mathematics
  name:
    name part: Lishinski, Alex Richard
    role:
      role term: creator
    role:
      role term: author.
  name:
    name part: Hand, Michael (Michael Robert)
    role:
      role term: thesis advisor.
  name:
    name part: Texas A & M University
    role:
      role term: degree granting institution.
  type of resource: text
  genre: bibliography
  origin info:
    place:
      place term: txu
    date issued: 2013
    issuance: monographic
  language:
    language term: eng
  physical description:
    form: remote
    extent: 1 online resource.
  abstract: The problem of applied mathematics is to account for the 'unreasonable effectiveness' of mathematics in empirical science. A related question is, are there mathematical explanations of scientific facts, in the same way there are empirical explanations of scientific facts? Philosophers are interested in the problem of applied mathematics for two main reasons. They are interested in whether the use of mathematics in empirical science is sufficient to motivate ontological conclusions. The indispensability argument suggests that the widespread application of mathematics obligates us to accept mathematical entities into our ontology. The second primary philosophical question concerns the details of the applications of mathematics. Philosophers are interested in what sort of relationship between mathematics and the physical world allows mathematics to play the role that it does. In this thesis, I examine both areas of literature in detail. I begin by examining the details of the indispensability argument as well as some significant critiques of the argument and the methodological conclusions that it gives rise to. I then examine the work of those philosophers who debate whether the widespread application of mathematics in science motivates accepting mathematical entities into our ontology. This debate centers on whether there are mathematical explanations of scientific facts, which is to say, scientific explanations which have an essential mathematical component. Both sides agree that the existence of mathematical explanations would motivate realism, and they debate the acceptability of various examples to this end. I conclude that there is a strong case that there are mathematical explanations. Next I examine the work of the philosophers who focus on the formal relationship between mathematics and the physical world. Some philosophers argue that mathematical explanations obtain because of a structure preserving 'mapping' between mathematical structures and the physical w…
  note: by Alex Richard Lishinski.
  note: "Major Subject: Philosophy"
  note: Includes vita.
  note: Master of Arts Texas A & M University 2013 http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/149495
  note: Includes bibliographical references.
  note: Text (Thesis)
  subject:
    topic: Major Philosophy
  subject:
    topic: Mathematical Explanation
  subject:
    topic: Applied Mathematics
  identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/149495
  record info:
    record content source: TXA
    record creation date: 140117
    record change date: 20151206091202.0
    record identifier: in00003425997
    language of cataloging:
      language term: eng