Notes for a mathematical aisthesis: from Gestalt to language

Abstract

This article explores some possible ways of investigating mathematical thinking from a perceptual perspective, focusing in particular on the potential link between creative mathematical processes and the forms (Gestalten) that can be grasped during such processes. To this end, the first part is devoted to the perspective offered by authors within the framework of Gestalt theory, both in the mathematical field and in the broader investigation of problem-solving processes; the second part, drawing on the continuity between Gestalt research and the phenomenological method, is dedicated to reflecting on the role of language in the advancement of knowledge in the field of mathematics.