Mathematics and formal reasoning are fundamental building blocks of knowledge, essential for science, technology, policy-making and risk-management. Mathematical practice is a rich phenomenon of human activity, with subtle differences between various cultures: here, the word culture can refer to national cultures, but also cultural differences in different historical periods, in different strata of a given society, in different social settings.
And yet, the public perception of mathematics is of an apersonal subject with little or no human interaction, based on a false picture of a science of pure thought and deduction, with almost no interaction or visible activity.
In a move away from these traditionalist positions, philosophers and social scientists have recently become more interested in studying mathematical and logical practice, or, to be precise, different mathematical and logical practices. Our conference will focus on this plurality of viewpoints, studying the various cultures of mathematics and logic, and involve several disciplines such as philosophy, sociology, psychology, cognitive science, history of mathematics, mathematics education, and linguistics.
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