Oops, I didn't see the link. My mistake, then. Is mathematics a science? I always say "no" but there are different definitions (it's an old word and originally

Oops, I didn't see the link. My mistake, then. Is mathematics a science? I always say "no" but there are different definitions (it's an old word and originally just meant "knowledge"). Abstract fields like mathematics are certainly excluded from the purer definition of "natural sciences" (physics, chemistry, biology, geology) because it doesn't require interaction with the physical world. Relevant xkcd: http://xkcd.com/435/ http://xkcd.com/435/ Mathematics is sometimes called a "formal science" but the term isn't widely accepted. In general: if it doesn't follow the scientific method (which requires experimentation, which mathematics doesn't include) it isn't considered a science. Some mathematical fields do experiment; computational and statistical mathematics can employ stochastic experimental procedure – making them scientific or at least science-like – but they're still abstract and certainly not natural sciences.