Science And Math Was: Python's Lisp heritage

[John Roth]

"Gonçalo Rodrigues" <op73418 at mail.telepac.pt> wrote in message
news:dit7cuo1nguiha34nq80m9q39igpjlr70d at 4ax.com...
> Just some clarifications.
>
> On Mon, 22 Apr 2002 06:10:02 GMT, Tim Daneliuk <tundra at tundraware.com>
> wrote:
>
>
> You should understand that this is a philosophical viewpoint. The
> mathematical field is roughly divided in the Platonist field, those
who
> believe that mathematical objects exist somewhere out there in space
(to
> quote Sun Ra) in a Wonderful World of Platonic Ideas, and the
formalist
> field of those who believe mathematics is essentialy a game we play on
> paper with symbols with no "real" meaning attached to it besides the
> convenience in describing natural phenomena.

That's my understanding of the philosophy as well. I normally
take the formalist side.

John Roth