Editing Informal mathematics (section)

==Terminology==

''Informal mathematics'' means any informal mathematical practices, as used in everyday life, or by aboriginal or ancient peoples, without historical or geographical limitation. Modern mathematics, exceptionally from that point of view, emphasizes formal and strict [[mathematical proof|proofs]] of all statements from given [[axiom]]s. This can usefully be called therefore ''formal mathematics''. Informal practices are usually understood intuitively and justified with examples—there are no axioms. This is of direct interest in [[anthropology]] and [[psychology]]: it casts light on the perceptions and agreements of other cultures.  It is also of interest in [[developmental psychology]] as it reflects a naïve understanding of the relationships between numbers and things. Another term used for informal mathematics is ''folk mathematics'', which is ambiguous; the [[mathematical folklore]] article is dedicated to the usage of that term among professional mathematicians.

The field of [[naïve physics]] is concerned with similar understandings of physics. People use mathematics and physics in everyday life, without really understanding (or caring) how mathematical and physical ideas were historically derived and justified.