#Computation

A Harvard lecture by a leading quantum computing expert connected computer science, philosophy, and mathematical logic to explain what mathematics can and cannot prove. The talk, titled How Much Math Is Knowable?, framed computation as not just a tool for mathematicians but a map of the actual limits of mathematical knowledge. For Thai readers, it offers a timely perspective as Thailand strengthens its focus on reasoning, computation, and innovative problem solving in education.

How much of mathematics can ever be truly known? This age-old question is back at the forefront after a recent high-profile lecture at Harvard, where a renowned quantum computing expert explored how the frontiers of computer science, philosophy, and mathematical logic intertwine to define the boundaries of the knowable in mathematics (Harvard Math - Fifth Annual Yip Lecture).

The lecture, titled “How Much Math Is Knowable?”, highlighted that while mathematics is often thought of as the bastion of certainty, the reality is more nuanced and constrained by the very limits of computation itself. The core message: computer science doesn’t just create new tools for mathematicians—it draws the actual lines that define what humanity can, or cannot, ever formally prove or know in mathematics.