The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences

[Astronuc]

Interesting perspective on mathematics from a Nobel physicist.

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~matc/MathDrama/reading/Wigner.html

Didn't know where to put something that is more or less math trivia.

The first point is that mathematical concepts turn up in entirely unexpected connections. Moreover, they often permit an unexpectedly close and accurate description of the phenomena in these connections. Secondly, just because of this circumstance, and because we do not understand the reasons of their usefulness, we cannot know whether a theory formulated in terms of mathematical concepts is uniquely appropriate.

Somebody once said that philosophy is the misuse of a terminology which was invented just for this purpose.

The physicist is interested in discovering the laws of inanimate nature.

THE ROLE OF MATHEMATICS IN PHYSICAL THEORIES

 

[kant]

Here is another:

http://www.lecb.ncifcrf.gov/~toms/Hamming.unreasonable.html