Invented or discovered?

International audienceDoes mathematics pre-exist and hence is discovered or is it invented and owes its being to humans? What do students believe and how does this interact with their beliefs about the production and the meaningfulness of mathematical knowledge? This paper presents results based on 18 Greek students' interviews about their relationship with mathematics through an epistemological lens. The findings diverge from what the literature suggests especially with respect to whether mathematics is perceived as a meaningful human activity and to what extent it produces certain and fixed conclusions. Ideally educators could foster beliefs which promote students' engagement and understanding of mathematics