Infinity: does it exist?? A debate with James Franklin and N J Wildberger

Infinity has long been a contentious issue in mathematics, and in philosophy. Does it exist? How can we know? What about our computers, that only work with finite objects and procedures? Doesn't mathematics require infinite sets to establish analysis? What about different approaches to the philosophy of mathematics--can they guide us?

In this friendly debate, Prof James Franklin and A/Prof Norman Wildberger of the School of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science, UNSW, debate the question of `infinity' in mathematics.

Along the way you'll hear about Jim's new book: `An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics: Mathematics as the Science of Quantity and Structure', published this year by Palgrave MacMillan.

Unfortunately, the microphone could not pick up audience questions and responses very well. The correct answer to Norman's question at the end of the game he described was given by Roberto Riedig: `any number you want'! As for this interesting game itself, Norman seems to remember getting the idea from Wolfgang Mueckenheim, who also ventures into heretical waters: see for example his paper "Physical Constraints of Numbers", Proceedings of the First International Symposium of Mathematics and its Connections to the Arts and Sciences, A. Beckmann, C. Michelsen, B. Sriraman (eds.), Franzbecker, Berlin 2005, p. 134 - 141.

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Screenshot PDFs for my videos are available at the website http://wildegg.com. These give you a concise overview of the contents of the lectures for various Playlists: great for review, study and summary.

My research papers can be found at my Research Gate page, at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/

My blog is at http://njwildberger.com/, where I will discuss lots of foundational issues, along with other things.

Online courses will be developed at openlearning.com. The first one, already underway is Algebraic Calculus One at https://www.openlearning.com/courses/algebraic-calculus-one/ Please join us for an exciting new approach to one of mathematics' most important subjects!

If you would like to support these new initiatives for mathematics education and research, please consider becoming a Patron of this Channel at https://www.patreon.com/njwildberger Your support would be much appreciated.

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Here are all the Insights into Mathematics Playlists:

Elementary Mathematics (K-6) Explained: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?
list=PL8403C2F0C89B1333
Year 9 Maths: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85CcGpZpO542YLPeDIf1jqXK
Ancient Mathematics: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85Aqe2b4FBWUGJdYROT6-o4e
Wild West Banking: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85DB7CzoFWvA920NES3g8tJH
Sociology and Pure Mathematics: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85A-qCypcmZqRvaS1pGXpTua
Old Babylonian Mathematics (with Daniel Mansfield): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?
list=PLIljB45xT85CdeBmQZ2QiCEnPQn5KQ6ov
Math History: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL55C7C83781CF4316
Wild Trig: Intro to Rational Trigonometry: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3C58498718451C47
MathFoundations: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5A714C94D40392AB
Wild Linear Algebra: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85BhzJ-oWNug1YtUjfWp1qAp
Famous Math Problems: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85Bfc-S4WHvTIM7E-ir3nAOf
Probability and Statistics: An Introduction: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85AMigTyprOuf__daeklnLse
Boole's Logic and Circuit Analysis: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85CnIGIWb7tH1F_S2PyOC8rb
Universal Hyperbolic Geometry: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85CN9oJ4gYkuSQQhAtpIucuI
Differential Geometry: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85DWUiFYYGqJVtfnkUFWkKtP
Algebraic Topology: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6763F57A61FE6FE8
Math Seminars: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBF39AFBBC3FB30AF
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And here are the Wild Egg Maths Playlists:

Triangle Centres: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLBGXDSUohM&list=PLzdiPTrEWyz6VcJQ5xcuqY6g4DWjvpmjM
Six: An elementary course in pure mathematics: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzdiPTrEWyz4KD007Ge10dfrDVc4YwlYS
Algebraic Calculus One: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzdiPTrEWyz4rKFN541wFKvKPSg5Ea6XB
Algebraic Calculus Two: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzdiPTrEWyz5VLVr-0LPPgm4T1mtU_DG-
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Видео Infinity: does it exist?? A debate with James Franklin and N J Wildberger канала Insights into Mathematics