Was mathematics created or discovered?

Question

This is a question that every science student ends up having to deal with at one time or another. And I, as a good physics student, am in this question now

Brayan · Accepted Answer

Math is probably a lot older than humanity, as it's necessary for animals to calculate anything from their position on Earth to their own age. I think it was discovered, but we always had it.

Gurteg · Answer

Well, this is a metaphysical question, seeing as due to the first, second and third laws all dictate that the amount of energy in the universe is finite and is being spread through in a disordered state.

Thus this means that the concept of a quantifiable unit that is decreasing in value should have preceded the very creation of the universe…..

then again, how do we know this to be true to begin with? As in, how are we so sure that the concept of energy and reality operates by our idea of summation and subtraction?

James · Answer

I would go with discovered as if I pick up one stick then pick up another its always going to be 2. There's nothing to create in that it just is but we did create the words to describe what was already there or what we discovered.

Eber · Answer

We create the language to understand our world better.

Taylor · Answer

I think it was kinda discovered via us observing patterns and trying to communicate what all we have.

Sadan · Answer

In math you discover patterns. You create and improve representations of those patterns, which helps you discover more patterns. Math is both parts of that process, so math is both. You discover mathematical principals. You create a language to describe them. The language changes. Your awareness of the principles improves.

Adam · Answer

It depends on what you mean by "created" and "discovered" obviously. As well what do you mean by "math"? Math as I see it is a tool we created to attempt to explain and understand what was already there.

Mal · Answer

mathematics as we practice it is a language that humans created, i suppose, but it has been true before we represented and documented it.

Was mathematics created or discovered?

Science Community

I would go with discovered as if I pick up one stick then pick up another its always going to be 2. There's nothing to create in that it just is but we did create the words to describe what was already there or what we discovered.

We create the language to understand our world better.

I think it was kinda discovered via us observing patterns and trying to communicate what all we have.

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