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(2005) Activity and sign, Dordrecht, Springer.
David Bloor, already in 1976, asked the question whether an alternative mathematics is possible. Although he presented a number of examples, I do not consider these really convincing. To support Bloor's view I present three examples that to my mind should be considered as genuine alternative: (a) vague mathematics, i. e., a mathematics wherein notions such as 'small", "large" and "few" can be used, (b) random mathematics where mathematics consists (almost) solely of a practice, and (c) a mathematics where infinitesimals can be used without any problem, on the assumption that one is willing to work with local models only and to resist looking for global models. Finally, I argue that these examples support Otte's thesis that an ontology is constituted by a practice and not vice-versa.
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Van Bendegen, J. P. (2005)., Can there be an alternative mathematics, really?, in M. H. G. . Hoffmann, J. Lenhard & F. Seeger (eds.), Activity and sign, Dordrecht, Springer, pp. 349-359.
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