The Vagueness of Wigner's Analysis (2011)
Gray, Jeremy (Author)
Interdisciplinary Science Reviews
Volume: 36, no. 3
Issue: 3
Pages: 214-228
Edition Details: Lead article in special issue, “Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics”
Language: English
I am going to argue that one unfortunate problem with Wigner's paper is its pervasive vagueness, indicate some of the problems this vagueness causes, and then analyse the problem on largely historical grounds insofar as we can see what it is. I will conclude that the paper does not help with the questions of what it means for physics to have laws and how we can know them, and I shall argue on historical grounds that the effectiveness of mathematics in physics may be less unreasonable than Wigner suggested but still be a profitable matter for investigation.
...MoreDescription On a 1960 paper by Eugene Wigner on the relationship between mathematics and the physical sciences. Contents:
Article Lützen, Jesper (2011) The Physical Origin of Physically Useful Mathematics. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews (pp. 229-243).
Article Suppes, Patrick (2011) Why the Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences Is Not Surprising. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews (pp. 244-254).
Article Baker, Alan (2011) Explaining the Applicability of Mathematics in Science. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews (pp. 255-267).
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