Is mathematics invented or discovered? Why does this seemingly abstract discipline provide the key to unlocking the deep secrets of the physical universe?
Famous mathematicians, mathematical physicists and philosophers of mathematics try to answer these questions in a series of accessible chapters that shed light on what mathematics really means.
Introduction; 1. Is Mathematics Discovered or Invented?; 2. Exploring the Mathematical Library of Babel; 3. Mathematical Reality; 4. Mathematics, the Mind, and the Physical World; 5. Mathematical Understanding; 6. Creation and Discovery in Mathematics; 7. Discovery, Invention and Realism: Godel and others on the Reality of Concepts; 8. Mathematics and Objectivity; 9. The Reality of Mathematical Objects; 10. Getting More out of Mathematics than What We Put In; Index