Vol 3/274
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p.223
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12427
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All of mathematics is properties of the whole numbers
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Full Idea:
All the results of significant mathematical research must ultimately be expressible in the simple forms of properties of whole numbers.
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From:
Leopold Kronecker (works [1885], Vol 3/274), quoted by Philip Kitcher - The Nature of Mathematical Knowledge 09.5
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A reaction:
I've always liked Kronecker's line, but I'm beginning to realise that his use of the word 'number' is simply out-of-date. Natural numbers have a special status, but not sufficient to support this claim.
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