Выпускница колледжа Christendom опубликовала научную работу в авторитетном католическом журнале

Christendom College Class of 2025 valedictorian Catherine Thomas has achieved a rare distinction: publication in the respected Catholic academic journal Logos. Her senior thesis, completed under the guidance of mathematics professor Dr. Douglas Dailey, was selected for publication following a blind peer-review process, placing Thomas’s research alongside the work of established scholars. Thomas’s thesis, Certainty in Mathematics: An Examination of Platonism and Formalism, explores one of the most fundamental questions in mathematics: whether mathematical truths are discovered as part of an objective reality or created through systems of logical rules. Drawing on the writings of Plato, St. Augustine, and modern philosophers of mathematics, Thomas argues that mathematics ultimately reflects an objective reality — one that points beyond itself to the order and intelligibility of God’s creation. “I argue that Platonism is the superior mathematical philosophy and that deriving mathematical certainty from its correspondence to reality is consistent with a Catholic worldview because the incomprehensibilities of math reflect the incomprehensibility and creativity of God,” says Thomas. The project grew out of conversations Thomas began having with Dailey several years earlier through Christendom’s Advanced Studies Program, now the Honors Program. As a sophomore, she participated in honors contracts exploring the philosophy and history of mathematics, discussions that eventually inspired her senior thesis. “When it came time for Catherine to write her senior thesis, she ultimately decided to write a thesis exploring various that had come up in our conversations,” says Dailey. “Her paper underwent a typical blind review process in which professional academics deemed it worthy of publication. This is a high level of achievement for an undergraduate.” According to Dailey, Thomas’s research is noteworthy not only for its sophisticated engagement with primary and secondary sources but also because it addresses questions many mathematicians rarely stop to examine. “One’s understanding of the nature of mathematics informs how one teaches, interacts with, describes, and studies mathematics,” Dailey explains. “Papers such as Catherine’s lend valuable assistance to one seeking to articulate a coherent philosophy of mathematics.” Thomas credits Christendom’s liberal arts education with giving her the intellectual foundation necessary to undertake the project. “My Christendom education prepared me to write this thesis because it gave me the educational background to understand Platonism and formalism,” she says. “My main sources for Platonism were Plato’s Meno, The Republic, and Augustine’s On Free Choice of the Will, which were all part of the core curriculum.” For Dailey, Thomas’s accomplishment reflects the strength of Christendom’s mathematics program and its emphasis on close faculty mentorship. “Our small class sizes allow us to engage with students in a personal manner so that we are best able to nurture and develop their inborn talents,” he says. “We have now had two mathematics majors publish papers in academic journals. Moreover, a number of our alumni have entered or completed graduate programs. It is a blessing to work with such a talented group of students.” Thomas has continued her academic success since graduating from Christendom. This month, she completed a Master of Professional Accounting degree from the University of Texas at Austin and will begin her career as an auditor with a CPA firm in Houston this September. Her publication in Logos stands as a testament to the opportunities available through Christendom’s liberal arts education, where close collaboration between faculty and students equips graduates to master great ideas and contribute meaningfully to the scholarly conversation.