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Single Idea 17781

[filed under theme 6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 4. Using Numbers / b. Quantity ]

Full Idea

The abstract objects of modern mathematics, the real numbers, were invented by the mathematicians of the seventeenth century in order to simplify and to generalize the Greek science of quantity.

Gist of Idea

Real numbers were invented, as objects, to simplify and generalise 'quantity'

Source

John Mayberry (What Required for Foundation for Maths? [1994], p.407-2)

Book Ref

'Philosophy of Mathematics: anthology', ed/tr. Jacquette,Dale [Blackwell 2002], p.407

Related Idea

Idea 17782 Greek quantities were concrete, and ratio and proportion were their science [Mayberry]

The 4 ideas with the same theme [specifying amounts of things numerically]:

14123 Some quantities can't be measured, and some non-quantities are measurable [Russell]
14158 Quantity is not part of mathematics, where it is replaced by order [Russell]
17782 Greek quantities were concrete, and ratio and proportion were their science [Mayberry]
17781 Real numbers were invented, as objects, to simplify and generalise 'quantity' [Mayberry]