Subject: Re: [HM] new tack for math vs maths
From: Fernando Q. Gouvea (fqgouvea@colby.edu)
Date: Thu Mar 30 2000 - 09:56:36 EST
On the subject of "math" versus "mathematics", I recently heard Constance
Reid criticize the mathematical community for accepting the use of
"math". In her opinion, this helped reduce the dignity of the discipline to
the level of one more boring high school subject. She argued that while
*students* refer to, say, Economics as "econ", Economists do not.
I'm not sure she's correct in her assessment, but it intrigued me,
particularly since it comes from a journalist who has written so
extensively about mathematics and mathematicians.
--
Fernando Q. Gouvea
Department of Mathematics Editor, FOCUS and MAA Online
Colby College http://www.maa.org
Waterville, ME 04901
fqgouvea@colby.edu http://www.colby.edu/math
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