Monthly Archives: June 2013

What Is A Theorem That A Human May Prove It?

Re: Gil Kalai • Why Is Mathematics Possible? • Tim Gowers’ Take On The Matter Comment 1 To the extent that mathematics has to do with reasoning about possible existence, or inference from pure hypothesis, a line of thinking going … Continue reading

Posted in Abduction, Analogy, Aristotle, C.S. Peirce, Conjecture, Deduction, Epistemology, Hypothesis, Induction, Inquiry, Logic, Logic of Science, Mathematics, Peirce, Proof Theory, Retroduction, Theorem Proving, Warren S. McCulloch | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

C.S. Peirce • The Proper Treatment of Hypotheses

Selection from C.S. Peirce, “Hume On Miracles” (1901), CP 6.522–547 530.   Now the testing of a hypothesis is usually more or less costly. Not infrequently the whole life’s labor of a number of able men is required to disprove a … Continue reading

Posted in Abduction, Hypothesis, Inquiry, Logic of Science, Peirce, References, Retroduction, Sources | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Moneytheism

Re: Cathy O’Neil • Profit as Proxy for Value There is a deep and pervasive analogy between systems of commerce and systems of communication, turning on their near-universal use of symbola (images, media, proxies, signs, symbols, tokens, etc.) to stand … Continue reading

Posted in Commerce, Communication, Economics, Moneytheism, Semiotics, Sign Relations | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Fourier Transforms of Boolean Functions • 2

Re: R.J. Lipton and K.W. Regan • Twin Primes Are Useful Note.  Just another sheet of scratch paper, exploring possible alternatives to the Fourier transforms in the previous post.  As a rule, I like to keep Boolean problems in Boolean … Continue reading

Posted in Boolean Functions, Computational Complexity, Fourier Transforms, Harmonic Analysis, Logic, Mathematics, Propositional Calculus | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wherefore Aught?

Re: R.J. Lipton and K.W. Regan • Why Is There Something? Here is another one of those eternally recurring ideas echoed inimitably by C.S. Peirce in his sketch of a Cosmogonic Philosophy. It would suppose that in the beginning,—infinitely remote,—there was … Continue reading

Posted in C.S. Peirce, Cosmogony, Evolution, Existence, Natural Law, Peirce, Philosophy, References, Sources | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments