Wednesday, August 7, 2013

"Rigor Deeply Improves Our Intuitions!"


A week-ago post on the role of rigor versus intuition in mathematics, initially focusing on Hilbert versus Poincare:

http://lenhoang.wordpress.com/2013/08/01/rigor-and-intuition-in-mathematics/

brief excerpt:
"In some sense, both Hilbert and PoincarĂ© were right. Mathematics is a matter of intuitions, but rigor is essential to get the intuitions right. Only then, when the intuitions are right, can we do complex reasonings on difficult problems….
"I believe the role of mathematics in schools to be precisely to use rigor to get intuitions right. Or, at least, less wrong."
The author also links to this related Terry Tao post that I've linked to before (where he discusses "pre-rigorous," "rigorous," and "post-rigorous" math education, interweaving with intuition):

http://terrytao.wordpress.com/career-advice/there%E2%80%99s-more-to-mathematics-than-rigour-and-proofs/


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