Foad holds a joint honours BSc in Physics and Philosophy and a MA in philosophy and history of science from University of Bristol, and a PhD in philosophy from LSE. Previously he was a fellow at the LSE. He is currently assistant professor at California State University, Los Angeles.
Dates of Visit: 28 June–14 August, 2016
Project Title: The Value of Mathematical Rigor in Physics
Project Description: Physics is couched in mathematics, but the use of mathematics in physics is not always uncontroversial. In particular, there are several well-known cases of physical theories that were not, at least from a contemporary mathematical perspective, mathematically rigorous. Mathematical rigor is taken to be, ceteris paribus, a good thing when it comes to physical theories. But what exactly is the value of mathematical rigor in physics? The aim of this research project is to answer this question.