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Bad math in Linnaeus' Philosophia Botanica
János Podani1, András Szilágyi2
1Department of Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical Biology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös University and MTA-ELTE-MTM Ecology Research Group, Pázmány P. s 1.C, 1055, Budapest, Hungary. podani@ludens.elte.hu.
History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences
|July 15, 2016
Summary
Carolus Linnaeus
Area of Science:
- Botanical Taxonomy
- History of Science
- Mathematical Botany
Background:
- Carolus Linnaeus' Philosophia Botanica (1751) proposed a method for calculating plant genera based on floral organs.
- Linnaeus assumed over 30 floral elements could vary by four dimensions to determine genus numbers.
Discussion:
- Analysis of 15 editions of Philosophia Botanica reveals consistent errors in Linnaeus' genus calculations.
- Flawed assumptions and arithmetic mistakes, coupled with a gap in mathematical and botanical thinking, plagued Linnaeus' approach.
- J. G. Gleditsch achieved the closest results to Linnaeus' original intent.
Key Insights:
- Linnaeus' method, if taken literally, would yield an astronomical number of potential genera.
- Empirical practice in Genera Plantarum (1754) shows Linnaeus selected relevant dimensions, not all possible ones.
- Historical analysis highlights persistent errors in calculating botanical genera over 265 years.
Outlook:
- Suggests an evolutionary network for historical and modern versions of Philosophia Botanica.
- Proposes a framework for understanding the development of taxonomic concepts.
- Emphasizes the importance of rigorous mathematical application in biological classification.
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