Neal Stephenson on Mathematical Platonism

[@buckfushes]

Snow Crash reminded me that a book can be much more entertaining and thought provoking than any movie could ever be. Can't wait to read Anathem!

[@GeeKayKayGee]

One of my favorite Sci-Fi writers, a thinker whose ideas have given me much to ponder and I have yet to be disillusioned by him. While I enjoyed stories such as Enders Game and Songmaster, revelations of Orson Cards political and social positions have greatly soured my affections for his writing. In reading Card's work now I can't help but seek out evidences of what seems to me his proselytization, real or imagined. And Anathem is a most excellent read. The End.

[@trinisuprazee]

wish i could understand such concepts

[@DividedLine]

It's not the number 3, it's tripartition, as in proportional relationships in physical space and in physical processes. Unity, duality, tripartition and so on are features of an empirically verifiable universe, the very same that the mind evolved to recognize. The anti Platonist position is actually absurd. If "numbers" are invented, then the physical universe is similarly invented.

[@simonberman8727]

I think he's actually just using 3 as an arbitrary example to illustrate the point that the concept of 'primeness' is universal and independent of any observer. 3, 7, 11 are all primes regardless of whether there is a consciousness to witness this. Primeness then is just used here to illustrate that mathematical theories and properties exist independently of their 'discovery' by humanity.

[@ThomasJDavis]

@@simonberman8727 And that depends on what you mean by "universal". In a platonic sense, 'primeness' exists independent of rational beings existing, somehow. Universal could also mean that any and every existing rational being who is capable of understanding the concept of being unable to evenly divide a given number of something agrees that it is impossible. It's a universal agreement among all sufficiently rational beings.

[@ThomasJDavis]

To say that the universe is invented if numbers are invented is to _presume the platonist position_ and view the nominalist position through that lens.

[@Maxb49]

I suppose he means humanities departments outside of the philosophy department. And nobody cares what they think anyway.