FOM: "The unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics"

Robert Tragesser RTragesser at compuserve.com
Mon Jan 26 08:01:35 EST 1998


RE:     FOM: "The unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics"

        For a powerful synergy effect,  I
recommend reading Jack Schwartz's
1962 (7 page) essay
"The pernicious influence of mathematics
on science"
along side of the Wigner piece.  It
interestingly complicates the picture
 we must have
of mathematics in order to approach
Wigner's question.

Schwartz is reprinted in 
Kac-Rota-Schwartz DISCRETE THOUGHTS
(Birkauser Boston,  1986).
        Annoyingly,  the original
source is not given except to say
that it was Stanford University Press.
        Since I am currently doing
penance for an excessive littering of postings,
I'll not comment (i.e.,  I don't have anything
too good not to say to say).
        rtragesser
I have a few Xerocopies I could send out
snail mail if there is interest and
the Schwartz piece in any of its
incarnations is difficult of access.




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