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Has the Periodic Table Been Successfully Axiomatized?

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Abstract

Although the periodic system of elements is central to the study of chemistry and has been influential in the development of quantum theory and quantum mechanics, its study has been largely neglected in philosophy of science. The present article is a detailed criticism of one notable exception, an attempt by Hettema and Kuipers to axiomatize the periodic table and to discuss the reduction of chemistry in this context.

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Scerri, E.R. Has the Periodic Table Been Successfully Axiomatized?. Erkenntnis 47, 229–243 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005318720779

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