ncku-talk2022-10-20

Colloquium

DATE 2022-10-20　16:10-17:00

PLACE 數學系館 1F3174教室

SPEAKER 劉柏宏院長（勤益科技大學通識教育學院）

TITLE A Cultural Survey of the Infinite and Bolzano’s Approaches

ABSTRACT The infinite had long been regarded as one of the most difficult concepts to be understood in the history of mathematics. The ancient Chinese and Greek philosophers shared similar dialectical nature on epistemological debates, but demonstrated distinct attitudes toward the infinite. This talk will address the cultural issues regarding the conception of the infinite during the ancient China and Greece in terms of philosophical, mathematical and theological aspects. Besides, though Cantor was well known for his work on set theory manifesting the complicated nature of infinity, it is Bolzano who implicitly established the logical foundation. Based on Paradoxien des Unendlichen (Paradoxes of the Infinite) and his relevant primary works, this talk will investigate Bolzano’s accounts of infinity through understanding his philosophy of mathematics and strategies used for dealing with the paradoxical nature of infinity.

Colloquium

DATE	2022-10-20　16:10-17:00

PLACE	數學系館 1F3174教室

SPEAKER	劉柏宏院長（勤益科技大學通識教育學院）

TITLE	A Cultural Survey of the Infinite and Bolzano’s Approaches

ABSTRACT	The infinite had long been regarded as one of the most difficult concepts to be understood in the history of mathematics. The ancient Chinese and Greek philosophers shared similar dialectical nature on epistemological debates, but demonstrated distinct attitudes toward the infinite. This talk will address the cultural issues regarding the conception of the infinite during the ancient China and Greece in terms of philosophical, mathematical and theological aspects. Besides, though Cantor was well known for his work on set theory manifesting the complicated nature of infinity, it is Bolzano who implicitly established the logical foundation. Based on Paradoxien des Unendlichen (Paradoxes of the Infinite) and his relevant primary works, this talk will investigate Bolzano’s accounts of infinity through understanding his philosophy of mathematics and strategies used for dealing with the paradoxical nature of infinity.