What is a number? Cover Image

Czym jest liczba?
What is a number?

Author(s): Krzysztof Cipora
Subject(s): Social Sciences
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
Keywords: Numerical cognition; philosophy of mathematics; numbers; number representations

Summary/Abstract: The concept of number is an abstract concept. Numbers do not exist itself in the nature. On the other hand, they carry a wide variety of significant information about the environment and are present in the life of human being in almost all fields. The origins of numbers as well as its nature were considered in numerous ways by mathematicians, philosophers, psychologists etc. The classical theories of number are briefly discussed and opposed to the psychological and neuroscientific findings regarding number representations. It seems that the ability use information carried by number is not exclusive to educated human mind, contrary its origins are innate and common to humans and several other species.

  • Issue Year: 2013
  • Issue No: 6
  • Page Range: 1–10
  • Page Count: 10
  • Language: Polish