Research and Publications

AOS: Philosophy of science, Philosophy of Physics, Philosophy of Mathematics

AOC: Logic, Metaphysics

Research

My research is presently focusing on mathematical modeling and representation in science, and on the applicability of mathematics to science. The objective is to offer a general account for mathematical models which could make sense of all the different roles that these models play in the scientific practice, with a special emphasis on their representative and heuristic role.

Publications (peer-reviewed)

“In defense of Benacerraf’s multiple-reductions argument”, Philosophia Mathematica, vol. 27 (2). 2019. [Draft].
“Applicability Problems Generalized”, in M. Piazza and G. Pulcini, Truth, Existence and Explanation. FilMat 2016 Studies in the Philosophy of Mathematics, Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol. 334, Springer, 2018. [Email me for a draft].
“The Applicability of Mathematics and the Indispensability Arguments”. Lato Sensu. Revue de la Société de Philosophie des Sciences. Vol. 3 (1). 2016. [PDF available here].
“Avoiding Reification. Heuristic Effectiveness of Mathematics and the Prediction of the Omega Minus Particle”. Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 53, 2016; pp. 20-27. [Final draft].
“Structure and Applicability”. In G. Lolli, M. Panza, G. Venturi, From Logic to Practice. Italian Studies in the Philosophy of Mathematics. Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science, vol. XIX, Springer, 2015; pp. 203-222. [Email me for a penultimate draft].
“The Unreasonable Effectiveness. The Philosophical Problem of the Applicability of Mathematics”. Rivista di Filosofia Analitica Junior, 2:2, 2011; pp. 26-40. [PDF available here].

Other publications

“La filosofia tra logica e scienza”. In Umberto Curi (ed.), Il coraggio di pensare, Torino, Loescher, 2018; section 5.
“Galak’t’ion”. An introduction to the life and work of the georgian poet Galak’t’ion Tabid’ze; in collaboration with N. Shamugia. Semicerchio: Rivista di poesia comparata, vol. 50, 2014; pp. 44-48.

Seminars and presentations

Expecting the rules of chess to reflect those of the solar system. Talk for the conference “Analogical Reasoning in Science and Mathematics. [PDF (English, slides)].
Gödel, Kant e gli universi rotanti. Seminar at the Scuola Normale Superiore (Pisa), 2011. [PDF (Italian)].
Science without Numbers: Il nominalismo matematico di H. Field. Seminar at the Scuola Normale Superiore (Pisa), 2011. [PDF (Italian)].
Un interessante caso di incompletezza: il teorema di Paris-Harrington. Seminar at the Scuola Normale Superiore (Pisa), 2010. [PDF (Italian)].
Il continuo intuizionista. Seminar at the Scuola Normale Superiore (Pisa), 2009. [PDF (Italian)].