scholarly journals A deductive-nomological model for mathematical scientific explanation

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Eduardo Castro
Keyword(s):  
Hamiltonian Systems ◽  
North American ◽  
Scientific Explanation ◽  
Laws Of Nature ◽  
Mathematical Explanation ◽  
Causal Explanations ◽  
Scientific Explanations ◽  
The North

I propose a deductive-nomological model for mathematical scientific explanation. In this regard, I modify Hempel’s deductive-nomological model and test it against some of the following recent paradigmatic examples of the mathematical explanation of empirical facts: the seven bridges of Königsberg, the North American synchronized cicadas, and Hénon-Heiles Hamiltonian systems. I argue that mathematical scientific explanations that invoke laws of nature are qualitative explanations, and ordinary scientific explanations that employ mathematics are quantitative explanations. I analyse the repercussions of this deductivenomological model on causal explanations.

scholarly journals Searching for Non-Causal Explanations in a Sea of Causes

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alisa Bokulich
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Explanation ◽  
Causal Explanation ◽  
Causal Explanations ◽  
Explanatory Pluralism ◽  
Sand Ripples ◽  
Scientific Explanations ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Aeolian Geomorphology

In the spirit of explanatory pluralism, this chapter argues that causal and non-causal explanations of a phenomenon are compatible, each being useful for bringing out different sorts of insights. First the chapter reviews the author’s model-based account of scientific explanation, which can accommodate causal and non-causal explanations alike. Then it distills from the literature an important core conception of non-causal explanation. This non-causal form of model-based explanation is illustrated using the example of how Earth scientists in a subfield known as aeolian geomorphology are explaining the formation of regularly-spaced sand ripples. The chapter concludes that even when it comes to everyday “medium-sized dry goods” such as sand ripples, where there is a complete causal story to be told, one can find examples of non-causal scientific explanations.

1588: The Bicalutamide Early Prostate Cancer Program: Findings of the North American Trial at 7.7 Years' Median Follow-Up

2006 ◽  
Vol 175 (4S) ◽  
pp. 511-512
Author(s):  
David G. McLeod ◽  
Ira Klimberg ◽  
Donald Gleason ◽  
Gerald Chodak ◽  
Thomas Morris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
North American ◽  
Early Prostate Cancer ◽  
The North ◽  
Cancer Program

Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery Practice Patterns: Survey of the North American Skull Base Society

2013 ◽  
Vol 74 (S 01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pete Batra ◽  
Jivianne Lee ◽  
Samuel Barnett ◽  
Brent Senior ◽  
Michael Setzen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skull Base ◽  
North American ◽  
Practice Patterns ◽  
Skull Base Surgery ◽  
Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery ◽  
The North

Transactions in science in comparative perspective

2018 ◽  
pp. 52-69
Author(s):  
A. N. Oleinik
Keyword(s):  
Transaction Costs ◽  
Academic Freedom ◽  
North American ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Scientific Productivity ◽  
Institutional Environments ◽  
Academic Administrator ◽  
The North ◽  
American Case ◽  
Transactional Approach

The article develops a transactional approach to studying science. Two concepts play a particularly important role: the institutional environment of science and scientific transaction. As an example, the North-American and Russian institutional environments of science are compared. It is shown that structures of scientific transactions (between peers, between the scholar and the academic administrator, between the professor and the student), transaction costs and the scope of academic freedom differ in these two cases. Transaction costs are non-zero in both cases, however. At the same time, it is hypothesized that a greater scope of academic freedom in the North American case may be a factor contributing to a higher scientific productivity.

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