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A Brain For Numbers - Contents

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Jeny Sharma
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24 views

A Brain For Numbers - Contents

Uploaded by

Jeny Sharma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Contents

Preface xi
Introduction xiii

Part I Conceptual Foundations 1

1 Thinking about Numbers 3

1.1 Mathematical Reality 3


1.2 Cardinal Numbers as Objective Properties of a Set 5
1.3 Knowledge of Numbers 8

2 Numerical Concepts, Representations, and Systems 11

2.1 Numerical Concepts 11


2.2 Mental Numerical Representations and Mental Systems 12

Part II Numbers Deeply Rooted in Our Ancestry 19

3 Understanding Numbers across the Animal Tree of Life 21

3.1 The Diversification of Animal Life 21


3.2 The Theory of Evolution 25
3.3 Classic Studies on Animal “Counting” 28
3.4 How to Test Animals on Numerical Cognition 32
3.5 The Phylogeny of Numerical Competence 36
3.6 Signatures of Animal Number Discrimination 49

4 The Utility of Number for Animals 63

4.1 A Matter of Fitness 63


4.2 Staying Alive 64
4.3 Benefits for Reproduction 72
viii Contents

5 Biological Heritage in the Human Brain 77

5.1 Baby Steps 77


5.2 Approximate Number System versus Object Tracking System 81
5.3 Number Discrimination in Humans Lacking Number Words 82
5.4 The Ancient Logarithmic Number Line 85

Part III Numerical Quantity in the Brain 89

6 Localizing Numerical Quantity Representations in the Human


Brain 91

6.1 The Building Plan of the Cerebral Cortex 91


6.2 At a Loss for Numerical Quantity after Brain Injury 101
6.3 Mapping Numerical Quantity on the Healthy Human Brain 104

7 Number Neurons 115

7.1 The Language of Neurons 115


7.2 The Discovery of Number Neurons in the Monkey Brain 119
7.3 The Neuronal Code for Number 127
7.4 Number Neurons Are Necessary for Number Judgments 129
7.5 Number Neurons Represent Different Presentation Types and
Modalities 132
7.6 Convergent Evolution of Number Neurons: Lessons from Crows 137
7.7 Number Neurons in the Human Brain 140
7.8 An Innate Number Instinct 145
7.9 Number Models and Networks 148
7.10 Numerical Working Memory 151

Part IV Number Symbols 157

8 Signs for Numbers 159

8.1 Evolution Pushed Homo sapiens toward Symbolic Thinking 159


8.2 Number Signs: Icons, Indices, and Symbols 161
8.3 Invention of Number Symbols in Human History 163
8.4 How Children Learn to Deal with Number Signs 168
8.5 Teaching Number Signs to Animals 170

9 Neural Foundation of Counting and Number Symbols 177

9.1 The Patient Who Lost All Numbers beyond Four 177
9.2 Imaging in the Human Brain During Symbolic Numerical Tasks 180
Contents ix

9.3 Numerical Association Neurons in Monkeys 182


9.4 Symbolic Number Neurons in the Human Brain 186
9.5 A Brain Area Dedicated to Numerals 187

10 The Calculating Brain 193

10.1 Non-symbolic Calculation in Indigenous People, Infants, and


Animals 193
10.2 Single-Neuron Arithmetic 200
10.3 Cortical Location of Calculation 206
10.4 Dissociation of Calculation Types: Procedure versus Facts 212
10.5 Left versus Right Brain 216
10.6 Dissociated Brain Networks for Calculation and Language 219
10.7 Professional Mathematicians and Mathematical Prodigies 224

11 Space and Number 233

11.1 Small Numbers on the Left, Large Numbers on the Right 233
11.2 Carried along the Number Line During Calculation 237
11.3 Space and Number in the Brain 240

Part V Development 245

12 The Developing Number Brain 247

12.1 Counting in Children 247


12.2 Startup Tools for a Symbolic Number System 249
12.3 Out of Approximate Quantity and into Symbolic Number 251
12.4 Brain Activity in the Developing Brains of Children 254
12.5 Abstractness of Number Representations in the Brain 259

13 Developmental Dyscalculia 265

13.1 Developmental Dyscalculia and How It Affects Life 265


13.2 Domain-General and Domain-Specific Impairment in Dyscalculia 267
13.3 Tracing Dyscalculia Back to Brain Anatomy 270
13.4 Functional Differences in Brain Activation of Dyscalculic Children 273
13.5 It’s (Partly) in the Genes 274

Part VI The Brain Departing from Empirical Reality 281

14 The Magical Number Zero 283

14.1 A Special Number 283


14.2 Zero in Human History 285
x Contents

14.3 Development of Zero-like Concepts in Children 292


14.4 Zero-like Concepts in Animals 295
14.5 Neuronal Representations of “Nothing” and Empty Sets 299

Epilogue 307
Notes 309
Index 365

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