Publicaties
Polymath as an epistemic community Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The Polymath Project is an online collaborative enterprise that was initiated in 2009, when Timothy Gowers asked whether and how groups could work together to solve mathematical problems that “do not naturally split up into a vast number of subtasks.” Gowers proposed to answer this question himself by actually trying to set up such a collaboration, based on interactions taking place in the comment-threads of a series of posts on a WordPress ...
Kurt Gödels onvolledigheidsstellingen en de grenzen van de kennis Vrije Universiteit Brussel
In this paper a presentation is given of Kurt Gödel’s pathbreaking results on the incompleteness of formal arithmetic. Some biographical details are provided but the main focus is on the analysis of the theorems themselves. An intermediate level between informal and formal has been sought that allows the reader to get a sufficient taste of the technicalities involved and not lose sight of the philosophical importance of the results. Connections ...
Revisiting the Mutilated Chessboard or the Many Roles of a Picture Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Much has been said and written about the famous example of the mutilated chessboard problem (MCP), up to the point where one might have the impression all has been said about it. It is our aim to show that that is not the case and, to support that claim, we will draw attention to two related questions. The first question deals with what it could mean to produce a “purely” formal proof and the second question what the connection is between proof ...
Understanding without words: visual representations in math, science and artistic research Vrije Universiteit Brussel
As knowledge can be condensed in different non-verbal ways of representation, the integration of graphic and visual representations and design in research output helps to expand insight and understanding. Layers of visual charts, maps, diagrams not only aim at synergizing the complexity of a topic with visual simplicity, but also to guide a personal search for and insights into knowledge. However, from research over graphic representation to ...
The Point of the Matter: Performativity in scientific practices Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The conference Does it Matter? Composite Bodies and Posthuman Prototypes in Contemporary Performing Arts (Ghent University, 2015) featured a ‘keynote dialogue’ between performance scholar and philosopher Maaike Bleeker (Utrecht University) and mathematician and philosopher of science Jean Paul Van Bendegem (Free University of Brussels). Speaking from their respective areas of interest and expertise, Bleeker and Van Bendegem discussed various ...
Logical methods Vrije Universiteit Brussel
This chapter surveys logical methods and their philosophical relevance
Regulating academic pressure: from fast to slow. Vrije Universiteit Brussel
This paper investigates the impact of publication pressure on the ethics and the scientific integrity in the domain of mathematics and of the arts. Both research fields are specific in their methodology, being that they do not start from a classical hypothesis and researchers in these areas are not knowing what the outcome will be. The research design is open, and creativity is a main part of the research investigation. Both research fields do ...
Epistemic injustice in mathematics Vrije Universiteit Brussel
We investigate how epistemic injustice can manifest itself in mathematical practices. We do this as both a social epistemological and virtue-theoretic investigation of mathematical practices. We delineate the concept both positively—we show that a certain type of folk theorem can be a source of epistemic injustice in mathematics—and negatively by exploring cases where the obstacles to participation in a mathematical practice do not amount to ...
Big-data literacy as a new vocation for statistical literacy Vrije Universiteit Brussel
In the contemporary society a massive amount of data is generated continuously by various means, and they are called Big-Data sets. Big Data has potential and limits which need to be understood by statisticians and statistics consumers, therefore it is a challenge to develop Big-Data Literacy to support the needs of constructive, concerned, and reflective citizens. However, the development of the concept of statistical literacy mirrors the ...