The meaning of pure mathematics (Q1123181): Difference between revisions

In contrast to formalism and Platonism, being two classical approaches to the treatment of the meaning of pure mathematics, the author proposes intentionalism as a viewpoint according to which ``pure mathematics is a description of finite structures consisting of finitely many individually imagined objects''. Such an opinion, resulting from a sequence of the author's previous papers [see, e.g., J. Symb. Logic 51, 59-62 (1986; Zbl 0609.03003) and ibid. 46, 625-633 (1981; Zbl 0466.03024)], close to some ideas outlined by D. Hilbert and H. Poincaré, is supported by an interesting proof-theoretic consideration and result.