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Proofs Intuition and Certainty

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3 views

Proofs Intuition and Certainty

Uploaded by

molinapauljames58
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Intuition, Proofs, and

Certainty
In a mathematical practice, intuitive can be
found in all places such as in the
mathematical literature and in mathematical
discovery.
One good example was the letter from
Srinivasa Ramanujan (an Indian
mathematician) to Godfrey Harold Hardy (a
British mathematician), containing astonishing
formulas for infinite sums, products, fractions,
and roots Ramanujan's formulas prove there
is mathematical intuition.
Hardy made a sound judgment with his
reasonable understanding in the field of
mathematics without directly proving the
formulas of Ramanujan's were correct.

For example, reviewers assessing complex


research papers or professors grading innovative
solutions often rely on their deep understanding
to determine the correctness or significance of a
result, similar to how Hardy judged Ramanujan's
formulas without direct proofs.
The word "intuition" carries a heavy load of
mystery and ambiguity and it is also somewhat
dangerous, illegitimate substitute for a formal
proof.
Intuitive is the counterpart of rigorous. Intuitive
means lacking in rigor, yet the concept of rigor
is defined intuitively, not rigorously. Being
intuitive means being visual just like geometry
differs from rigorous geometry in two ways.
Example:
Intuitive geometry relies on visual understanding,
like seeing that the angles of a triangle sum to 180
degrees, while rigorous geometry, such as Hilbert's
axiomatic system, requires formal, logical proofs
without relying on visuals. Intuition provides quick
insight, whereas rigor ensures precise and
unambiguous conclusions.
The intuitive version has a meaning, a
referent in the domain of visualized curves
and surfaces.

In some aspects, intuitive is superior it


contains a valuable quality the rigorous
version lacks.
Intuitive has different
meanings like plausible, or
convincing in the absence of
proof, incomplete, holistic or
integrative as opposed to
detailed or analytic. In all
different usages intuition is
vague.
Consideration of intuition as actually
experienced leads to a notion that is
difficult and complex, but not
inexplicable.
A proof is an inferential argument for a mathematical
statement. In mathematical argument, statements
such as theorems can only be used if it is already
proven.
In principle, a proof can use axioms which are
denoted as self-evident or assumed statements
along with accepted rules of inference. Axioms may
be served as conditions that must be met before the
statement applies.
Proofs are examples of exhaustive
deductive reasoning and inductive
reasoning. A mathematical proof
demonstrates that a certain
statement is always true in all
possible cases.
An unproved proposition that is
believed to be true is known as a
conjecture.
Proof is important to
mathematics, if one has a
conjecture, the only way that it
can safely be sure that it is
true, is by presenting a valid
mathematical proof.
The efforts to prove a conjecture,
requires a good understanding of the
theory being tested. A mathematician
that tries to prove something may
gain a great deal of understanding
and knowledge
The need for certainty is inherited
from the ancient past and is
religiously motivated, it's validity is
independent of its history and it's
motivation. Mathematics has its
tradition and standard point of
view that it provides certainty.
When a mathematical knowledge is
correctly formulated it is forever beyond
error and correction. Any possible errors
maybe attributed to human error,
comprising carelessness, oversight or
misformulation. Mathematics has no
problem of being certain, for certainty is
just an essential defining attribute of
mathematics and mathematical
knowledge.
Thank you!

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