STEM

Is mathematics a science?

I asked myself that question since various self-serving academic types are promoting STEM education, implying that science and maths are divisible.

And yet mathematics departments are almost always nestled in the local science faculties.

Historically, scienctists have used maths as a tool by which to help model the natural world. Any theory, enshrined in maths and accepted as true, was ultimately expected to be shown by new data to be false, or a limiting case of a more general theory.

And mathematicians in the past were intent on increasing the number of ways in which equations could be used to explain puzzles that could formulated in a numerical format, thereby expanding the number of weapons in the mathematical toolbox.

But of late, many scientists have turned to invention, using maths as an engineer would; not to test models but to help instruct efficient work output.

Mathematicians themselves have largely become applied, variably using maths. But rarely for expanding their field in a conceptual fashion.

I would therefore conclude that, on average, the modern scientist, mathematician and engineer differ only in their intent, but not their practice.