Wigner and the ‘gift’ of mathematics
DOI: 10.1063/1.2883878
I recently read Frank Wilczek’s Reference Frame in the May 2007 issue of Physics Today (page 8 ), in which he discusses his reaction to Eugene Wigner’s claim that the success of mathematics in the natural sciences is miraculous. Wilczek’s discussion seems to assume Wigner’s claim is that mathematics has worked miracles in bringing about the development of the natural science disciplines. I, however, have taken that statement to express wonder that every nook and cranny of human thought seems to find some branch of mathematics just waiting to describe it or ready to be developed to describe it. That is, there seems to be a mathematical description available for everything. Even Darwin’s theory can be described mathematically, and often is.
More about the authors
James D. Barter, 1(james.barter@ngc.com) Northrop Grumman Space Technology, Redondo Beach, California, US .
