Depth - A Gaussian Tradition in Mathematics

作者:Gray Jeremy*
来源:Philosophia Mathematica, 2015, 23(2): 177-195.
DOI:10.1093/philmat/nku035

摘要

Mathematicians use the word 'deep' to convey a high appreciation of a concept, theorem, or proof. This paper investigates the extent to which the term can be said to have an objective character by examining its first use in mathematics. It was a consequence of Gauss's work on number theory and the agreement among his successors that specific parts of Gauss's work were deep, on grounds that indicate that depth was a structural feature of mathematics for them. In contrast, French mathematicians had a less structural, more problem-oriented approach to mathematics and did not speak of depth so readily.

  • 出版日期2015-6