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mathematics. discovered or invented?

roger_purvisroger_purvis Posts: 968
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in General Discussion #1
What do you think? I think discovered. No invented. I think invented. No. Discovered.
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    CLL DodgeCLL Dodge Posts: 115,882
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    #2
    Invented. Without us (or any other sentient lifeform) the universe is dumb, unaware of its own existence, let alone any mathematical relationship therein.
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    zx50zx50 Posts: 91,275
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    #3
    Yeah, I would also say invented as well. It wasn't already there. A method of working things out had to be created and mathematics ended up being that method.
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    KJ44KJ44 Posts: 38,093
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    #4
    Not a bad question

    67:33 to discovery

    Discovered because maths is supposed to be the same everywhere, we can't imagine otherwise so it seems to be innate in the universe, discovered because it's not obvious, invented because how humans perceive it might be determined by how we have evolved.

    Gödel really messed things up for simple answers like mine though
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    QT 3.14QT 3.14 Posts: 1,771
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    #5
    Invented, the same as fire, gravity and electricity were. ;)
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    blue eyed guyblue eyed guy Posts: 2,470
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    #6
    roger_purvis wrote: »
    What do you think? I think discovered. No invented. I think invented. No. Discovered.

    Invented, and then given a huge boost in efficiency with the introduction of Hindu numbers.
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    solenoidsolenoid Posts: 15,495
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    #7
    There is no mathematics.
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    roger_purvisroger_purvis Posts: 968
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    #8
    solenoid wrote: »
    There is no mathematics.

    Do go on....
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    Slarti BartfastSlarti Bartfast Posts: 6,607
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    #9
    We've invented ways to express it (language and symbolism) but the underlying mathematics itself was discovered.
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    KJ44KJ44 Posts: 38,093
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    #10
    I have support for discovered!

    http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=mathematics+discovered&word2=mathematics+invented

    erm

    http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=sausages+discovered&word2=sausages+invented
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    swingalegswingaleg Posts: 103,127
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    #11
    neither really.......just 'described'

    you wouldn't say that plants were invented or discovered........they've just been described over the millennia in varying ways with various theories and explanations as to what they were

    same for mathematics
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    roger_purvisroger_purvis Posts: 968
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    #12
    swingaleg wrote: »
    neither really.......just 'described'

    you wouldn't say that plants were invented or discovered........they've just been described over the millennia in varying ways with various theories and explanations as to what they were

    same for mathematics

    I would say plants were discovered.
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    zx50zx50 Posts: 91,275
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    #13
    roger_purvis wrote: »
    I would say plants were discovered.

    I agree.
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    Slarti BartfastSlarti Bartfast Posts: 6,607
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    #14
    zx50 wrote: »
    I agree.

    If plants were discovered then surely so was maths. We named the plants like we named the mathematical principals, but we didn't invent them.
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    zx50zx50 Posts: 91,275
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    #15
    Slarti Bartfast wrote: »
    If plants were discovered then surely so was maths. We named the plants like we named the mathematical principals, but we didn't invent them.

    I meant the actual thing.
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    killjoykilljoy Posts: 7,920
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    #16
    It's the use of mathematics which was invented.
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    roger_purvisroger_purvis Posts: 968
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    #17
    Slarti Bartfast wrote: »
    If plants were discovered then surely so was maths. We named the plants like we named the mathematical principals, but we didn't invent them.

    But if we discovered it. Who invented it?
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    SaturnVSaturnV Posts: 11,519
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    #18
    Discovered, it's all there no matter whether we're here to write it down or not. Also any other life form would observe the same things.
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    lordOfTimelordOfTime Posts: 22,372
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    #19
    Invented. Surely.

    Mathematics is something to use to bring order to our observable universe.

    Like the way we use calendars to make sense of time.
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    MudboxMudbox Posts: 10,110
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    #20
    With fractals, we didn't invent them, we discovered them, like mathematical plants.
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    MaxatoriaMaxatoria Posts: 17,980
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    #21
    We discover new mathematical methods as they already exist, to invent them would be wrong
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    MudboxMudbox Posts: 10,110
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    #22
    we invent the language of maths, I suppose.
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    DangerBrotherDangerBrother Posts: 1,623
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    #23
    My grandad invented infinity.
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    SaturnVSaturnV Posts: 11,519
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    #24
    We invented the symbols to describe what's already there.
    Interesting to think that there's still maths out there waiting to be described.
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    zx50zx50 Posts: 91,275
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    #25
    Maxatoria wrote: »
    We discover new mathematical methods as they already exist, to invent them would be wrong

    That's because we're building/improving on something we already invented.
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    SaturnVSaturnV Posts: 11,519
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    #26
    zx50 wrote: »
    That's because we're building/improving on something we already invented.

    None of mathematics is invented, it can only describe what's already there.
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