Are Numbers Real or Just in Our Heads?
Can you imagine a world without numbers? Whether you’re baking a birthday cake, tiling the bathroom, or planning your next trip, numbers are essential! You can’t do much in the modern world without numbers, but there’s something a bit peculiar about them. Are they actually real, and if so, where are they? This question tends to get mathematicians and philosophers riled up. So do numbers exist? Or are they simply inventions of the human mind? Some people argue numbers are real and exist outside of our thoughts, like physical objects. Others believe numbers are abstract tools created by humans to describe and understand the world, just like language. How can we disagree about something so essential?
Bio
Dr Clemency Montelle is the Head of School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Canterbury. Crazy about mathematics and hooked on ancient languages, researching the history of mathematics was the perfect way to combine her two passions. Professor Montelle graduated from the History of Mathematics department, Brown University, USA, as a Fulbright scholar. She is currently immersed in an international project on the history of mathematical astronomy in Sanskrit sources.
Event
Tuesday 10 September, 8:00pm @Cascade, 219 High Street, Christchurch Central
Also speaking at this location at 6:30pm is Mark Rickerby
