2006-10-10 06:11:09 · 15 answers · asked by connie 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
math was discovered but some of the methods for doing math were invented
2006-10-10 06:14:56 · answer #1 · answered by raj 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
This is an age old question with no good answer. It can easily get into some deep metaphysics (in what sense do mathematical objects exist?).
My own view is that the basic rules (the axioms) are invented and the results (the theorems) of those rules are discovered. Often the rules are chosen for their agreement with intuition or the real world.
Think of it like this: the game of chess was invented. The rules were decided upon by some person who wanted to make up a challenging game. However, the solution to a chess problem 'find a mate in 3 moves' is something that can be discovered. In a very similar way, the axioms for math (ZFC, Euclid's etc) are chosen for various reasons and are invented for those reasons. But once the rules of the game are chosen, it is possible to discover new results (ways of computing, new theorems, etc).
2006-10-10 06:34:01 · answer #2 · answered by mathematician 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Definitely Discovered
2006-10-10 06:19:18 · answer #3 · answered by Olivia Maer 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
this is a great philosophical question. I think Math is like religion. One believes that there are universal principles that just "are" and what we as humans are doing, are discovering them, one by one. Just like humans discover "the Word of God" via prophets and messiahs who tell us what these universal principles of living are. It is not like "engineering" which invents ways to apply these principles to do useful stuff for us. Calculus, in this view, was invented, because its more about techniques to figure out an answer to a mathematical question (or Algebra is a also a good example), rather than general principles.
2006-10-10 06:33:07 · answer #4 · answered by Yumes 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Math was definitely discovered, not invented.
2006-10-10 07:09:39 · answer #5 · answered by Melody 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Some suggested reading in math/science:
TITLE: Mathematics From the Birth of Numbers.
AUTHOR: Jan Gullberg
PUBLISHER: New York , W.W.Norton c1997
TITLE: The Universal History of Computing: From the Abacus to
the Quantum Computer.
AUTHOR: Georges Ifrah
PUBLISHER: New York, John Wiley, c2001
TITLE: The Universal History of Numbers: From Prehistory to
the Invention of th Computer.
AUTHOR: Georges Ifrah
PUBLISHER: New York, John Wiley 2000 - c1998
any more suggested books greatly appreciated.........
2006-10-10 09:47:35 · answer #6 · answered by Chris 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I believe that math existed since the first super nova in space. It is believed by many that math is the corner stone of ALL things.
Man was just able to label it.
Good Luck and Take Care
2006-10-10 06:37:15 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
It depends some math is embedded in our brains from birth. But others like geometry was invented by Euclid and Calculus was invented by Newton and Leibniz. Other things in math were discovered such as the golden ratio or pi.
2006-10-10 06:18:13 · answer #8 · answered by sphereeversion 1 · 0⤊ 4⤋
Invented!
2006-10-10 06:18:44 · answer #9 · answered by Web Maniac 1 · 0⤊ 4⤋
This is one of them mind benders. Some say that maths has always been there, it's just we have to wait for some clever sod to fathom it out.
2006-10-10 10:29:16 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋