A view from lockdown: mathematics discovered, invented, and inherited
arXiv:2103.04101
Abstract
The classical platonist / formalist dilemma in philosophy of mathematics can be expressed in lay terms as a deceptively naive question: \emph{Is new mathematics discovered or invented? Using examples from my own mathematical work during the Coronavirus lockdown, I argue that there is also a third way: new mathematics can also be inherited. And entering into possession, making it your own, could be great fun.
arXiv commentA shorter version of the paper (roughly Sections 1 to 4) appeared as: Borovik A. (2020) A View from Lockdown: Mathematics Discovered, Invented, and Inherited. In: . Mathematics Online First Collections. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/16618_2020_6