 | |
| Author | Philip J. Davis andReuben Hersh |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Mathematics Philosophy History |
| Publisher | Springer |
Publication date | 1981 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 487pp(Second Edition) |
The Mathematical Experience (1981) is a book byPhilip J. Davis andReuben Hersh that discusses the practice of modernmathematics from ahistorical andphilosophical perspective. The book discusses the psychology of mathematicians, and gives examples of famous proofs and outstanding problems. It goes on to speculate about what a proof really means, in relationship to actual truth. Other topics include mathematics in education and some of the math that occurs in computer science.
The first paperback edition won a U.S.National Book Award in Science.[1][a] It is cited by some mathematicians as influential in their decision to continue their studies ingraduate school; and has been hailed as a classic of mathematical literature.[2]On the other hand,Martin Gardner disagreed with some of the authors' philosophical opinions.[3]
A new edition, published in 1995, includes exercises and problems, making the book more suitable for classrooms. There is alsoThe Companion Guide to The Mathematical Experience, Study Edition. Both were co-authored withElena Marchisotto.[4] Davis and Hersh wrote a follow-up book,Descartes' Dream: The World According to Mathematics (Harcourt, 1986), and each has written other books with related themes, such asMathematics And Common Sense: A Case of Creative Tension by Davis andWhat is Mathematics, Really? by Hersh.
One of the classics of mathematical literature, The Mathematical Experience, by Philip J Davis and Rueben Hersh, remains pertinent and fulfills its lofty ambitions even 20 years past its 1981 publication.
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