Do numbers EXIST? - Numberphile

An expert on the philosophy of mathematics, Dr Jonathan Tallant, outlines some of the key arguments about whether or not numbers ACTUALLY EXIST?

Exploring platonism, nominalism and fictionalism.

Jonathan works in the University of Nottingham's Philosophy Department. Brady does more philosophy videos with Jonathan and the others at http://www.youtube.com/user/Philosoph...

Jonathan talks about the philosophy of time in this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw6hS_...

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Videos by Brady Haran

• Category

  Science & Technology

[Serfdomftw]

Mathematics exists. Mathematics is held within the consciousnesses of those who use the system. It is simply an electric pulse in the brain between neurons, in this way it exists. This is the same way that Dragons exist. -->????

[TheNobleSufferer]

These all seem silly, of course numbers don't exist physically but that doesn't mean mathematics isn't true. Math is just a kind of raw logic, it's like like a grand set of predictions logically derived from an initial concept based on our world. We name singleness '1' and name '1' and another '1' '2' and so forth, eventually we have all of mathematics which was logically derived from something logically perceived in the world, so off course it's true.

[IWillAvengeL]

I have seen a cat without a grin before, but I have never seen a grin without a cat.

[Gyroglle]

But, if a number doesn't exist when it's not being used, what does it arise from? Wouldn't it then be a massive coincedence if there wasn't a general '3-ness' that exists everywhere in the universe, that every time we come up with a number 3, it's the exact same thing?

[willr81680]

By definition, how could a "fictionalist" exist? How does anyone know whether existence exists?

[nithia]

I guess I follow fictionalism? Math is a tool or a language but not a tangible object or even necessarily a representation of an actual tangible object. This is much more felt when doing math work for school that is simply solving a formula with no other context. If context is not NEEDED for math then math can exist on its own without context, and if you are not currently using a number in an equation it does not exist waiting to be used. I am also, loosely, an atheist.

[10000136]

Do a video on fractions like 1/97, 1/89, and 1/79 , etc.

1/p