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Formal science is abranch of science studying disciplines concerned with abstract structures described byformal systems, such aslogic,mathematics,statistics,theoretical computer science,artificial intelligence,information theory,game theory,systems theory,decision theory andtheoretical linguistics. Whereas thenatural sciences andsocial sciences seek to characterizephysical systems andsocial systems, respectively, usingtheoretical andempirical methods, the formal sciences use languagetools concerned with characterizing abstract structures described byformal systems and the deductions that can be made from them. The formal sciences aid the natural and social sciences by providing information about the structures used to describe the physical world, and what inferences may be made about them.[1]
One reason why mathematics enjoys special esteem, above all other sciences, is that its laws are absolutely certain and indisputable, while those of other sciences are to some extent debatable and in constant danger of being overthrown by newly discovered facts.
Because of their non-empirical nature, formal sciences are construed by outlining a set ofaxioms anddefinitions from which other statements (theorems) are deduced. For this reason, inRudolf Carnap'slogical-positivist conception of theepistemology of science, theories belonging to formal sciences are understood to contain nosynthetic statements, instead containing onlyanalytic statements.[3][4]
Media related toFormal sciences at Wikimedia Commons
