this post was submitted on 30 Dec 2024
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my experience studying math has been that if someone uses the word “mathematical” when they’re trying to argue something, then there is a decent chance they don’t really know what they’re talking about. if they did, they would probably use a more specific term or cite a theorem or proof. math is not a monolith.
your anecdote is a pretty spectacular example of that. how nice it would be if we could “mathematically prove” that ZFC is objectively true. and also how nice it would be if we could “mathematically define” what it even means for something to be “true” or “objectively true”.
Side note, in my experience people often misuse the word "math" to mean "arithmetic, as in "I did the math" or "Your math is wrong" when they're just adding up some numbers lol.
yeah that one can be pretty rough too. i think i’ve become a bit desensitized to it over the years, and paul lockhart’s lament has helped me cope a bit, but the pain is still there.