Computers in Mathematical Inquiry
Jeremy D. Avigad · Oxford University Press eBooks · 2008
The use of computers in mathematics raises a number of questions of a generally epistemological character. This chapter surveys the ways in which computers are used in mathematics, clarifies some of the questions that arise, and assesses the philosophical methods that may be brought to bear. In particular, it explores the sense in which computational methods provide ‘evidence’ for mathematical assertions, as well as mathematical ‘understanding’.