Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Mathematics/2010 October 17

= October 17 =

human values
what are the human values that we learn through maths?????????? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Chharish775 (talk • contribs) 04:08, 17 October 2010 (UTC)
 * Are you asking about the philosophy of mathematics? One subtopic is whether mathematics is invented or discovered.  This is a subject of Paul Ernest's work. -- 124.157.218.5 (talk) 05:01, 17 October 2010 (UTC)
 * sorry kid, not much. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.224.205.247 (talk) 12:42, 17 October 2010 (UTC)


 * Agree with that. However you can learn a lot about human values using maths. For instance by sorting the Wikipedia article by page views we get a good indication that humans are more interested in film actresses than the United States, and that Facebook is about as important as sex. Maths hardly rates in peoples consciousness though Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking seem to be reasonably famous. And using statistics and game theory you can work out to some extent what people really value as opposed to what they say is important. Dmcq (talk) 16:11, 17 October 2010 (UTC)
 * It could be said that doing mathematics teaches a person to think rationally, to make logical deductions, to assess facts neutrally, to be patient and assiduous in one's work, etc. From this perspective, many human values could be learned through mathematics. — Anonymous Dissident  Talk 20:59, 17 October 2010 (UTC)
 * It's also obviously beautiful. Michael Hardy (talk) 00:36, 18 October 2010 (UTC)
 * For me, the importance of rigor, and the value of deductive reasoning in discovering truth. 67.158.43.41 (talk) 08:28, 18 October 2010 (UTC)
 * Many conflicts can be easily resolved if you understand the isomorphisms between your situation and the other side's. Also humility - in mathematics, it makes much less sense to pretend to understand something you don't than in many other occupations.
 * So I disagree with 92 and Dmcq, and also with G. H. Hardy who I suspect would have said none and been proud of it. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 11:39, 18 October 2010 (UTC)