Is big data enough? A reflection on the changing role of mathematics in applications

Domenico Napoletani (1) , Marco Panza (2) , Daniele Struppa (3)

1 Institute for Quantum Studies
2 IHPST - Institut d'Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques
3 Schmid College of Science and Technology

The advent of computers, and especially high performance computers, has had a dramatic impact on the way in which mathematics is done, and even more on how mathematics is applied. In this paper a reflection is outlined about the role of mathematics in big data, and it is argued that this goes with arising some new methodological challenges.

Mots clés: Big data; agnostic science; microarray paradigm; historical phenomena; developmental processes; principle of forcing (in mathematical application)

Domaines: Histoire, Philosophie et Sociologie des sciences

Domenico Napoletani, Marco Panza, Daniele Struppa. Is big data enough? A reflection on the changing role of mathematics in applications. Notices of the American Mathematical Society, 2014, 61 (5), pp.485-490. ⟨halshs-00984828⟩