Discrete and continuous: A fundamental dichotomy in mathematics

@article{Franklin2017DiscreteAC,
  title={Discrete and continuous: A fundamental dichotomy in mathematics},
  author={James Franklin},
  journal={Journal of humanistic mathematics},
  year={2017},
  volume={7},
  pages={355-378}
}
  • J. Franklin
  • Published 1 July 2017
  • Mathematics
  • Journal of humanistic mathematics
The distinction between the discrete and the continuous lies at the heart of mathematics. Discrete mathematics (arithmetic, algebra, combinatorics, graph theory, cryptography, logic) has a set of concepts, techniques, and application areas largely distinct from continuous mathematics (traditional geometry, calculus, most of functional analysis, differential equations, topology). The interaction between the two – for example in computer models of continuous systems such as fluid flow – is a… 
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