Mathematics Colloquium: The Role of Philosophy in Proof: Euclids Proof of Proposition One

2016-09-22

4:10pm

Martin Flashman

It is widely believed that logic is at the heart of proof in mathematics. Professor Flashman suggests that students might be better served with an alternative view that connects notions of proof with philosophical discussions related to ontology and epistemology. Euclids proof of Proposition 1 in his Elements, Book I, will be offered as a primary example to illustrate some possible changes in focus.