Michael Miller - The (un?)reasonable effectiveness of mathematics in the natural sciences

This talk was part of the of the Master Class and Workshop on "Higher Structures Emerging from Renormalisation" held at the ESI November 8 - 19, 2021.

Wigner famously argued that "The miracle of the appropriateness of the language of mathematics for the formulation of the laws of physics is a wonderful gift which we neither understand nor deserve." After considering his arguments in favor of this claim, I will discuss several philosophical approaches to understanding the applicability of mathematics. While each such approach is problematic in its current form, what will emerge from this discussion is a cautious optimism concerning our eventual ability to understand the role that mathematics plays in our physical theorizing.

[merlepatterson]

Could there be an issue with hierarchical advantage in the directed selection of applicability based upon group generated standards?