Single Idea 9636

[catalogued under 11. Knowledge Aims / B. Certain Knowledge / 1. Certainty]

Full Idea

The goal of my theory is to establish once and for all the certitude of mathematical methods.

Gist of Idea

My theory aims at the certitude of mathematical methods

Source

David Hilbert (On the Infinite [1925], p.184), quoted by James Robert Brown - Philosophy of Mathematics Ch.5

Book Reference

Brown,James Robert: 'Philosophy of Mathematics' [Routledge 2002], p.66


A Reaction

This dream is famous for being shattered by Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem a mere six years later. Neverless there seem to be more limited certainties which are accepted in mathematics. The certainty of the whole of arithmetic is beyond us.