Mathematics

Symbol Sense: Informal Sense-Making in Formal Mathematics.

tlooto Summary

Informal sense-making in formal mathematics is explored through the concept of Irineo Funes' extraordinary memory and his experience with condensing memories into numbers.

Abstract

Prologue Irineo Funes, the "meritorious", was created from Borges 's fantastic palette. He had an extraordinarily retentive memory, he was able to remember everything, be it the shapes of the southern clouds on the dawn of April 30th, 1882, or all the words in English, French, Portuguese and Latin. Each one of his experiences was fully and accurately registered in his infinite memory. On one occasion he thought of "reducing " each past day of his life to seventy thousand remembrances to be referred to by numbers. Two considerations dissuaded him: the task was inter-

Citation format

ARCAVI, A. Symbol sense: Informal sense-making in formal mathematics. For the Learning of Mathematics, 1994, 14: 24–35.