Science, Seti, and Mathematics

Mathematics is as much a part of our humanity as music and art. And it is our mathematics that might be understandable, even familiar, to a distant race and might provide the basis for mutual communication. This book discusses, in a conversational way, the role of mathematics in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The author explores the science behind that search, its history, and the many questions associated with it, including those regarding the nature of language and the philosophical/psychological motivation behind this search.

Carl L. DeVito is a member of the emeritus faculty of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Arizona. He has developed one of the most widely cited proposals for a language based on plausibly universal scientific concepts and has contributed to several edited volumes on cosmic communication including Space, Life, Science and Stories (2020). His other scientific work includes many papers on pure and applied mathematics and three books: Harmonic Analysis―A Gentle Introduction (2006), Functional Analysis (1978), and Functional Analysis and Linear Operator Theory (1990).