Historical Changes in the Concepts of Number, Mathematics and Number Theory

Abstract

This essay traces the history of three interconnected strands. Firstly, changes in the concept of number, secondly, the study of the qualities of number, which evolved into number theory, and thirdly, the nature of mathematics itself, from early Greek mathematics to the 20th century. These were embedded in philosophical shifts, from the classical Greek ontologies through increasing pragmatism to formalism and logical positivism. Given that Goedel demonstrated the limitations of the latter as a foundation for mathematics, this essay explores phenomenology and Lakatosian ideas, which together offer a more sound epistemological and ontological basis for mathematics and a methodology for mathematical development.The question also then arises of the possible resurrection of earlier, neglected mathematical projects, including widening the domain of number theory to include integer qualities revealed in the growth of mathematics in general, which has predominantly been the growth of quantitative mathematics or logistike, the complement of arithmetike in classical Greece.