Second page, last two paragraphs are probably the most interesting.
My tl;dr: Von Neumann sees mathematics as being primarily inspired by empirical problems. The further mathematical theories veer from their empirical origins, the more "baroque" or "degenerate" they become.
It would be interesting to know what inspired him to write this. Maybe something equivalent to, e.g. modern string theory, which was pissing him off.
My tl;dr: Von Neumann sees mathematics as being primarily inspired by empirical problems. The further mathematical theories veer from their empirical origins, the more "baroque" or "degenerate" they become.
It would be interesting to know what inspired him to write this. Maybe something equivalent to, e.g. modern string theory, which was pissing him off.