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Wahljahr: | 2004 |
Sektion: | Wissenschafts- und Medizingeschichte |
Stadt: | Paris |
Land: | Frankreich |
Karine Chemla's research work on the history of mathematics, so far mainly devoted to ancient China, aims at inquiring into two questions. On the one hand, she seeks to understand what a mathematical culture may mean. To this end, she studies the types of text, the modes of inquiry that a given social group elaborates, the epistemological values that it primarily praises, when carrying out mathematical work. And she tries to understand which correlations can be established between these factors and the mathematical concepts or results obtained.
Comparative study constitutes a key method in this respect. It allows exporting into new areas of research questions in history and philosophy of science that were inspired by studying closely the case of ancient China. In this regard, she devotes much attention to the shaping and the interpretation of scientific texts.
On the other hand, she has the project of understanding how mathematics as a world body of knowledge took shape and what this tells us with respect to the nature of mathematics. Here too, even though in a different way, comparative method proves essential. The key problem is here to understand how the universality of mathematical knowledge is shaped in a concrete history.
Emil-Abderhalden-Str. 35
06108 Halle (Saale)
Tel. | 0345 - 47 239 - 120 |
Fax | 0345 - 47 239 - 139 |
archiv @leopoldina.org |