Constructive mathematics

Abstract

This text is reproduced with the kind permission of Fran\c{c}ois Ap\'ery. It was originally edited by Fran\c{c}ois Gu\'enard and Gilbert Leli\`evre for the book "Penser les math\'ematiques". It is the modified and abridged version of a text that appeared previously as S\'eminaire de philosophie et math\'ematiques de l'\'Ecole normale sup\'erieure (s\'eance du 26 avril 1976), Paris, IREM Paris-Nord, 1980, 15 pp., http://www.numdam.org/item?id=SPHM_1976___1_A1_0, as well as in Langage et pens\'ee math\'ematiques: actes du colloque international (Luxembourg, 9-11 juin 1976), Luxembourg, Centre universitaire de Luxembourg, 1976, pp. 391--410. In its introduction, Ap\'ery writes: "In default of convincing, this text can set the record straight: we show that the constructive conception does not mutilate, on the contrary, it enriches classical mathematics."