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The Applicability of Mathematics as a Philosophical Problem
The Applicability of Mathematics as a Philosophical Problem Author:Mark Steiner This book analyzes the different ways in which mathematics is applicable to the physical sciences. Mark Steiner distinguishes among the semantic problems that arise from the use of mathematics in logical deduction; the metaphysical problems that arise from the alleged gap between mathematical objects and the physical world; the descr... more »iptive problems that arise from the use of mathematics to describe nature; and the epistemological problems that arise from the use of mathematics to discover those very descriptions. "The book is clear despite its often technical subject matter, and the main theses are well argued for. It's packed with interesting examples from physics—particularly quantum mechanics—[and] is a valuable addition to the philosophy of science and philosophy of mathematics literature. It presents a rigorous and detailed presentation of a puzzle that I believe is crying out for attention." —Mark Colyvan, Mind« less