Abstract: What is mathematics? This question is answered very differently. This article shows that school mathematics has epistemological differences to modern university mathematics. One important difference is that school mathematics is ontologically bound to reality whereas modern mathematics has detached itself from it. Due to this empirical character, school mathematics can be described as a quasi-natural science. The article discusses epistemological parallels to physics and the possibilities for collaboration between mathematics and physics education research.
Keywords: Interdisciplinarity, Mathematics, Epistemology, Nature of science, Teacher Training.