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Normal science and the hidden lemmas of mathematical epidemiology

Solari, Hernán G. and Natiello, Mario LU (2023) In De Gruyter Proceedings p.71-84
Abstract
Normal science is a characterization of science in our epoch and a demarcation of what “scientific” means. It divides science in disciplined/normed paradigms. Mathematical epidemiology is the paradigm that regulates the activity of mathematicians with respect to the study of epidemics. It also represents the interest (multiple meanings implied) of the community that guards it. In contrast, a real epidemic is a complex system, an undisciplined problem. To enable a connection between reality and the paradigm, an important number of bold decisions are needed: the hidden lemmas, i.e., simplifying assumptions that are not offered to examination and are usually inscribed in the habits of the practitioners
of the paradigm. The right of... (More)
Normal science is a characterization of science in our epoch and a demarcation of what “scientific” means. It divides science in disciplined/normed paradigms. Mathematical epidemiology is the paradigm that regulates the activity of mathematicians with respect to the study of epidemics. It also represents the interest (multiple meanings implied) of the community that guards it. In contrast, a real epidemic is a complex system, an undisciplined problem. To enable a connection between reality and the paradigm, an important number of bold decisions are needed: the hidden lemmas, i.e., simplifying assumptions that are not offered to examination and are usually inscribed in the habits of the practitioners
of the paradigm. The right of mathematical epidemiology to speak about real
epidemics rests on the appropriateness of the reduction of the problem to a
schematic set of equations or algorithms. We offer an examination of the most
evident hidden lemmas in action. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
MATHEMATICS FOR HUMAN FLOURISHING IN THE TIME OF COVID AND POST COVID-19
series title
De Gruyter Proceedings
pages
14 pages
publisher
De Gruyter academic publishing
external identifiers
  • scopus:85173365158
ISSN
2510-0742
2510-0734
ISBN
9783110738629
9783110734119
DOI
10.1515/9783110734119-006
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
fc59a239-b229-4933-afe2-ae253360f0fe
date added to LUP
2023-06-13 05:36:02
date last changed
2024-04-18 01:55:46
@inbook{fc59a239-b229-4933-afe2-ae253360f0fe,
  abstract     = {{Normal science is a characterization of science in our epoch and a demarcation of what “scientific” means. It divides science in disciplined/normed paradigms. Mathematical epidemiology is the paradigm that regulates the activity of mathematicians with respect to the study of epidemics. It also represents the interest (multiple meanings implied) of the community that guards it. In contrast, a real epidemic is a complex system, an undisciplined problem. To enable a connection between reality and the paradigm, an important number of bold decisions are needed: the hidden lemmas, i.e., simplifying assumptions that are not offered to examination and are usually inscribed in the habits of the practitioners<br/>of the paradigm. The right of mathematical epidemiology to speak about real<br/>epidemics rests on the appropriateness of the reduction of the problem to a<br/>schematic set of equations or algorithms. We offer an examination of the most<br/>evident hidden lemmas in action.}},
  author       = {{Solari, Hernán G. and Natiello, Mario}},
  booktitle    = {{MATHEMATICS FOR HUMAN FLOURISHING IN THE TIME OF COVID AND POST COVID-19}},
  isbn         = {{9783110738629}},
  issn         = {{2510-0742}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  pages        = {{71--84}},
  publisher    = {{De Gruyter academic publishing}},
  series       = {{De Gruyter Proceedings}},
  title        = {{Normal science and the hidden lemmas of mathematical epidemiology}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783110734119-006}},
  doi          = {{10.1515/9783110734119-006}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}