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Mathematical Intuition Vs. Mathematical Monsters*

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Abstract

Geometrical and physical intuition, both untutored andcultivated, is ubiquitous in the research, teaching,and development of mathematics. A number ofmathematical ``monsters'', or pathological objects, havebeen produced which – according to somemathematicians – seriously challenge the reliability ofintuition. We examine several famous geometrical,topological and set-theoretical examples of suchmonsters in order to see to what extent, if at all,intuition is undermined in its everyday roles.

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Feferman, S. Mathematical Intuition Vs. Mathematical Monsters*. Synthese 125, 317–332 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005223128130

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