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The Elephant is a Rope: Metaphor and Mathematics--Dr. John McCleary

February 28, 2013

3:15 PM - 4:30 PM

Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library

Beedle Hinely

A public lecture by Dr. John McCleary, professor of mathematics at Vassar College will be in Northen Auditorium, in Leyburn Library. Refreshments at 3:15, lecture at 3:35.

George Lakoff and Rafael Nunez have sketched a linguistic/cognitive science description of the origins of elementary notions of mathematics through the mechanism of metaphor.

Extending their idea to higher mathematics, a story emerges when we consider how metaphor changes over time. The talk will focus on these notions as a lens through which to view the history and development of mathematics. This talk is open to the wider W&L community and does not assume any special knowledge of mathematics.