Key research themes
1. What grounding does philosophy of mathematics provide for understanding mathematical proof, application, and epistemic justification?
This research area investigates the foundational nature and epistemic status of mathematical proof and application in mathematics, focusing on their cognitive aspects and the roles they play in constituting mathematical knowledge. It challenges dominant formalist accounts by emphasizing the experiential and constructive aspects of mathematical proof. The theme also explores philosophy of mathematics as an essential base for mathematical practice and education, considering how conceptions of proof and application underpin mathematical understanding.
2. How can dialogical methodologies enhance collaboration between mathematicians and mathematics educators for advancing educational research?
This theme examines interdisciplinary collaboration methodologies aimed at bridging distinct epistemic and disciplinary perspectives of mathematicians and mathematics educators. It addresses challenges arising from asymmetrical communication, differing terminologies, and objectives by proposing dialogical inquiry frameworks inspired by Bakhtin's theory of dialogism. Such methodologies foster co-creation of shared meanings and hybrid understandings of advanced mathematical concepts within educational research, ultimately enriching mathematics pedagogy and theory.
3. What new foundational frameworks in philosophy and mathematics provide innovative perspectives on the nature of mathematical abstraction, ontology, and the interface between mathematics and physical reality?
This research theme investigates advanced philosophical and mathematical frameworks that reconceptualize fundamental mathematical notions, such as abstraction, ontology of mathematical entities, and their relation to physical reality. Through historical and contemporary analyses, it incorporates operator algebras, noncommutative geometry, information-theoretic principles, and number-theoretic structures to explore the limits and extensions of classical mathematics. The aim is to provide operational and metaphysical clarity on mathematics as both an abstract system and a substrate related to empirical phenomena.