Re: Debian menu and the Apps/Science section

[Francesco Pietra <frapietra@alice.it>]

Unconvinced. Theoretical chemistry, as an example, is largely mathematics. But 
not only in the sense below engineering/physics. To develop novel theoretical 
chemistry, new mathematics has to be invented. The same for 
physics/mathematics: remember that Newton had to invent (I know that in some 
quarters the invention is attributed to another scientists, but the latter 
was a professional physicist too) infinitesimal calculation.

I reiterate to avoid cutting into pieces more than for the fundamental 
sciences, and put mathematics in (i am not a professional mathematician)

regards
francesco pietra


On Monday 15 May 2006 01:56, Ben Burton wrote:
> Hi,
>
> > I think Mathematics is also part of Science.
>
> FWIW, I would argue that mathematics is not a science -- it does not use
> the scientific method, there is no hypothesis and experimentation -- it
> is a more self-contained discipline that, while it seeks to be useful,
> is not bound to modelling the physical world.
>
> Certainly science _uses_ mathematics, in the same way that engineering
> uses physics, and so on.  But mathematics as a whole is somewhat broader.
>
> Anyway, I'd be very happy to see Mathematics and Science kept separate
> as they are now.  I do claim that mathematics is very different from the
> other disciplines that have been mentioned, in a way that physics,
> chemistry, biology and so on are not.
>
> b.