Is mathematics a human invention?

Question

or does it have an independent existance

I personally believe it exists independently, we just found it and started using it

I guess a better word would be "discovered" it

Answer 1

Mathematics, like most sciences is really just a model of facts in nature. quantities are factual. The fact that the quantity two plus the quanitty two equal the quantity four is a fact. An alien on another planet can take two alien rocks, put two more alien rocks beside them, and it would then have four alien rocks.

But, we created our version of mathematics. It is our local language.

You can look at different base systems (from binary thru to decimal then hexidecimal on up to the base 20 system that the Mayans use) to understand that our decimal system is just one language. One way of saying something.

Like wise, think of this. Is it the spoken words "Two plus two equal four" that is true, or is it the written words in this sentence? Or perhaps the symbols 2+2=4?

What if we change it to "Two and two are four." Then "to and to our fore". There are several words that sound the same. For, four and fore. Two, to and too.

How about other spoken languages here on Earth? In Italian or Spanish, for instance, the familiar way to say "you" is "tu", pronounced basically the same as "to". There is a "tu" with an accent over it, and one without.

Or, how about saying 2+2=4 in another language? "Dos y dos son cuatro." "Due e due sono cattro". (Not sure about that last one).

So, I would say that the physical aspects of the Universe that our language of Mathematics describes are very real and exist independently of humans. If we are wiped out in the next 5000 years, a future civilization will find the same rules exist. It is our way of saying it that is a human invention. And that varies from location to location and society to society on this planet.

Answer 2

mathematics (as a field of study) has existed even before men utilized it.

These mathematical concepts are 'discovered' by men in the process.

Observe: Circles and parallel lines had existed even before men realized it. Adding and multiplying had been around.

Some ideas like "0" were invented but the concept was discovered. Men make ditches in the ground and covered them up. The idea of returning to the level ground is the concept of zero but ancient people might not realize the concept at that time.

Concepts are discovered, but the notations men use are invented. Whoever made the rule that the number "1" should look like what it was?


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Answer 3

Human invention is probably not the right term. I would call it more of a human discovery. Math exists in the universe and in nature on earth. Humans are better at copying what already exists in nature.

Answer 4

it is a human discovery and it was not done by one race it has been used since the time of the cavemens....but the little complex part starts from the greeks and egyptians and o yes the most important number 0 comes from the indians

Answer 5

Yes, its human existance which who make a problem and make the solution too...
Like viruses, who makes viruses? And they also make also antiprogram which we called now antiviruses programs.

Answer 6

yes
because in some case we can't prove same solution
and it has lot of assumption
as ex we call 1 as one
but why 2 can't one
because all of us assume 1 as one
2 as two

Answer 7

It exists but it takes man to explore it and explain it and systemize it and refine it.

Answer 8

it's just a natural existence...

Answer 9

It was a human discovery.

Answer 10

it was invented- it originated around ancient Egypt.