Models and Inferences in Science

The book answers long-standing questions on scientific modeling and inference across multiple perspectives and disciplines, including logic, mathematics, physics and medicine. The different chapters cover a variety of issues, such as the role models play in scientific practice; the way science shapes our concept of models; ways of modeling the pursuit of scientific knowledge; the relationship between our concept of models and our concept of science. The book also discusses models and scientific explanations; models in the semantic view of theories; the applicability of mathematical models to the real world and their effectiveness; the links between models and inferences; and models as a means for acquiring new knowledge. It analyzes different examples of models in physics, biology, mathematics and engineering. Written for researchers and graduate students, it provides a cross-disciplinary reference guide to the notion and the use of models and inferences in science.

• Notion of Models
• Models in Scientific Practice
• Notion of Representation
• Notion of Inference
• Adequacy of Models
• Models and Acientific Explanation
• Heuristic Power
• Scientific Realism
• Chaos and Stochastic Models
• Modeling Medical Disorders
• Knot Theory
• Pragmatics of Models
• Modeling Machines

• Dipartimento di Filosofia, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

  Emiliano Ippoliti, Fabio Sterpetti

• Department of Philosophy, University of Nevada, Reno, USA

  Thomas Nickles

Policies and ethics