A Burgessian critique of nominalistic tendencies in contemporary mathematics and its historiography

We analyze the developments in mathematical rigor from the viewpoint of a Burgessian critique of nominalistic reconstructions. We apply such a critique to the reconstruction of infinitesimal analysis accomplished through the efforts of Cantor, Dedekind, and Weierstrass; to the reconstruction of Cauchy's foundational work associated with the work of Boyer and Grabiner; and to Bishop's constructivist reconstruction of classical analysis. We examine the effects of a nominalist disposition on historiography, teaching, and research.Comment: 57 pages; 3 figures. Corrected misprint

Sights and insights: Vocational outdoor students’ learning

Outdoor leader and adventure sport education in the United Kingdom has been characterized by an over-emphasis on technical skills at the expense of equally important, but often marginalized intra- and inter-personal skills necessary for contemporary outdoor employment. This study examined the lived experience of vocational outdoor students in order, firstly, to identify what was learned about the workplace through using reflective practice and, secondly, what was learned about reflective practice through this experience. The study used a purposive sample of students (n=15) who were invited to maintain reflective journals during summer work experience, and this was followed up with semi-structured interviews. Manual Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) revealed that in the workplace setting students used reflective practice to understand and develop technical proficiency, support awareness of the value of theory, and acted as a platform to express emergent concepts of ‘professionalism’. Lessons about reflective practice emphasized its value in social settings, acknowledging different ways of reflection, and understanding and managing professional life beyond graduation

Improvement of the KarstMod modelling platform for a better assessment of karst groundwater resources

International audienceHydrological models are fundamental tools for the characterization and management of karst systems. We propose an updated version of KarstMod, software dedicated to lumped-parameter rainfall-discharge modelling of karst aquifers. KarstMod provides a modular, user-friendly modelling environment for educational, research, and operational purposes. It also includes numerical tools for time series analysis, model evaluation, and sensitivity analysis. The modularity of the platform facilitates common operations related to lumped-parameter rainfall-discharge modelling, such as (i) setup and parameter estimation of a relevant model structure and (ii) evaluation of internal consistency, parameter sensitivity, and hydrograph characteristics. The updated version now includes (i) external routines to better consider the input data and their related uncertainties, i.e. evapotranspiration and solid precipitation; (ii) enlargement of multi-objective calibration possibilities, allowing more flexibility in terms of objective functions and observation type; and (iii) additional tools for model performance evaluation, including further performance criteria and tools for model error representation