PODCAST

Intellectual Mathematics

science mathematics

All Episodes

Bibliography of the works of Henk J.M. Bos

Intellectual Mathematics ·

2025/03/22

The following bibliography was prepared by Jan Hogendijk. Most of the publications are available online and can be downloaded through the links. The list of publications has appeared as an appendix to: Viktor Blåsjö, Henk Bos in Memoriam: with notes from his Nachlass, Nieuw Archief voor Wiskunde, 5th series, 26 no. 1, March 2025, see … Continue reading Bibliography of the works of Henk J.M. Bos

en-US

Note on Fried’s Unguru obituary

Intellectual Mathematics ·

2024/06/03

Michael N. Fried’s obituary of Sabetai Unguru has just appeared. There is no love lost between my historiographical convictions and theirs. Indeed, Fried reiterates as much in the obituary with a thinly veiled insult: Unguru’s works “evoke strong reactions and inspire probing historical research (see Blåsjö 2016 for the former and Corry 2013 for the … Continue reading Note on Fried’s Unguru obituary

en-US

1:27:04

Did Copernicus steal ideas from Islamic astronomers?

Intellectual Mathematics ·

2023/11/29

Copernicus’s planetary models contain elements also found in the works of late medieval Islamic astronomers associated with the Maragha School, including the Tusi couple and Ibn al-Shatir’s models for the Moon and Mercury. On this basis many historians have concluded that Copernicus must have gotten his hands on these Maragha ideas somehow or other, even … Continue reading Did Copernicus steal ideas from Islamic astronomers?

en-US

1:16:38

Operational Einstein: constructivist principles of...

Intellectual Mathematics ·

2023/07/23

Einstein’s theory of special relativity defines time and space operationally, that is to say, in terms of the actions performed to measure them. This is analogous to the constructivist spirit of classical geometry. Transcript Oh no, we are chained to a wall! Aaah! This is going to mess up our geometry big time. Remember what … Continue reading Operational Einstein: constructivist principles of special relativity

en-US

52:04

Review of Netz’s New History of Greek Mathematics

Intellectual Mathematics ·

2022/10/11

Reviel Netz’s New History of Greek Mathematics contains a number of factual errors, both mathematical and historical. Netz is dismissive of traditional scholarship in the field, but in some ways represents a step backwards with respect to that tradition. I argue against Netz’s dismissal of many anecdotal historical testimonies as fabrications, and his “ludic proof” … Continue reading Review of Netz’s New History of Greek Mathematics

en-US

Reply to Pambuccian on Greek constructivism

Intellectual Mathematics ·

2022/09/16

A strangely petty review by Victor Pambuccian of my article on Greek operationalism has appeared in zbMATH. Its supposed critiques are as follows. “Although the reader is told that the concept [of operationalism] will be defined in 2.2.1, one doesn’t find a definition there (except for a quotation from P. W. Bridgman [The logic of … Continue reading Reply to Pambuccian on Greek constructivism

en-US

Reply to Nikfahm-Khubravan & Ragep on Copernicus

Intellectual Mathematics ·

2022/09/16

In 2014 and 2018 I challenged the common view that Copernicus stole ideas from Maragha astronomers. My arguments were discussed by Nikfahm-Khubravan & Ragep (2019), who are believers in the “influence thesis” that I was challenging. Some people have asked me what I think of their take. Nikfahm-Khubravan & Ragep do not try to refute … Continue reading Reply to Nikfahm-Khubravan & Ragep on Copernicus

en-US