Dr. James Tappenden

Biography

Professor Tappenden has published on paradoxes, negation, vagueness, analytic truth, Frege's philosophy of mathematics, logic, and mathematical explanation. His current research principally addresses areas of nineteenth-century German philosophy, particularly the works of mathematician/philosopher/logician Gottlob Frege, and historically informed philosophy of mathematics, paying special attention to shared themes in Bernhard Riemann's complex analysis and algebraic geometry. His historical research supports investigations into the metaphysics and epistemology of mathematical concepts, with a special emphasis on the concept of 'fruitfulness'. Some representative papers of his current research include 'The Riemannian Background of Frege's Philosophy', 'Mathematical Concepts Definitions', and 'Mathematical Concepts: Fruitfulness Naturalness'. Tappenden has previously taught at the University of Pittsburgh and held visiting positions at Berkeley, Harvard, Oslo University, and Paris VII (Diderot). He was a fellow at the Michigan Institute for Humanities from 2006-2007.

Research Interests

Experience

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