How Mathematical Proofs Are Like Recipes

An episode of the Gresham College Lectures podcast, hosted by Gresham College, titled "How Mathematical Proofs Are Like Recipes" was published on October 31, 2022 and runs 44 minutes.

October 31, 2022 ·44m · Gresham College Lectures

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Summary

This talk considers mathematical proofs through an analogy to cooking recipes: that proofs give recipes for mathematical actions to be carried out by the reader. We will see linguistic evidence that written proofs often include explicit instructions in the imperative mood, just like recipes. This will lead to philosophical insights about mathematical diagrams, reading and writing proofs, and why maths is like the Great British Bake Off. A lecture by Dr Fenner Tanswell The transcript and down...

Episode Description

This talk considers mathematical proofs through an analogy to cooking recipes: that proofs give recipes for mathematical actions to be carried out by the reader. We will see linguistic evidence that written proofs often include explicit instructions in the imperative mood, just like recipes. This will lead to philosophical insights about mathematical diagrams, reading and writing proofs, and why maths is like the Great British Bake Off.

A lecture by Dr Fenner Tanswell

The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:
https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/recipes-proof

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