Alan R H Baker

Biographic Data

ID194499
NAMEAlan R H Baker
GIVEN NAMESAlan R H
FAMILY NAMEBaker
SIGNATUREBAKER A R H
AFFILIATIONSUniversity of Cambridge
ORCID0000-0003-2896-7961
VERIFIEDYes
TOTAL WORKS101
TOTAL CITATIONS262
AUTHOR COUNT101
EDITOR COUNT0
FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR1964
LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR2026
H-INDEX8

  • Obituary: John (Jack) Langton, 1942–2026

    Open AccessAlan R H BakerARTICLEJournal of Historical Geography2026

  • Multidisciplinary perspectives on nineteenth-century Paris

    Open AccessAlan R H BakerARTICLEJournal of Historical Geography2026

  • The mathematical stance

    Open AccessAlan R H Baker, Alan BakerARTICLESynthese2022References: 14

  • Amateur Musical Societies and Sports Clubs in Provincial France, 1848-1914

    Open AccessAlan R H BakerBOOKAmateur Musical Societies and…2017

  • Historical geography as an international discipline 1975-2015

    Open AccessAlan R H BakerARTICLEGeographical Journal2016Cited by: 3References: 8

    This paper was delivered by invitation as the opening plenary address at the 16th International Conference of Historical Geographers held at the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) in London, UK, 5-10 July 2015. That series of conferences had its origins in a British-Canadian symposium held in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, in 1975. Coincidentally, the Journal of Historical Geography was also founded in 1975. This p…

  • Remembering Hou Renzhi (1911–2013)

    Open AccessAlan R H BakerARTICLEJournal of Historical Geography2014

  • Pigeon racing clubs in Pas-de-Calais, France, 1870–1914

    Alan R H BakerARTICLEJournal of Historical Geography2013Cited by: 4

  • Simulation-Based Definitions of Emergence

    Open AccessAlan R H Baker, Alan BakerARTICLEJournal of Artificial Societies…2010

    One approach to characterizing the elusive notion of emergence is to define that a property is emergent if and only if its presence can be derived but only by simulation. In this paper I investigate the pros and cons of this approach, focusing in particular on whether an appropriately distinct boundary can be drawn between simulation-based and non-simulation-based methods. I also examine the implications of this definition for the epistemological…

  • The Annales School: An Intellectual History

    Open AccessAlan R H BakerARTICLEJournal of Historical Geography2010Cited by: 7

  • Communism in Rural France: French Agricultural Workers and the Popular Front

    Open AccessAlan R H BakerARTICLEJournal of Historical Geography2009

  • On the history and geography of the International Conference of Historical Geographers

    Open AccessAlan R H BakerARTICLEJournal of Historical Geography2009Cited by: 1

  • Mathematical Explanation in Science

    Alan R H Baker, Alan BakerARTICLEThe British Journal for the…2009Cited by: 59References: 17

    Does mathematics ever play an explanatory role in science? If so then this opens the way for scientific realists to argue for the existence of mathematical entities using inference to the best explanation. Elsewhere I have argued, using a case study involving the prime-numbered life cycles of periodical cicadas, that there are examples of indispensable mathematical explanations of purely physical phenomena. In this paper I respond to objections t…

  • Harold S.A. Fox, 1945–2007

    Open AccessAlan R H BakerARTICLEJournal of Historical Geography2008

  • Thirteenth International Conference of Historical Geographers

    Open AccessGraeme Wynn, Alan R H Baker et al.ARTICLEJournal of Historical Geography2007

  • Putting Expectations in Order

    Open AccessAlan R H Baker, Alan BakerARTICLEPhilosophy of Science2007

    In their paper, “Vexing Expectations,” Nover and Hájek (2004) present an allegedly paradoxical betting scenario which they call the Pasadena Game (PG). They argue that the silence of standard decision theory concerning the value of playing PG poses a serious problem. This paper provides a threefold response. First, I argue that the real problem is not that decision theory is “silent” concerning PG, but that it delivers multiple conflicting verdic…

  • Are there Genuine Mathematical Explanations of Physical Phenomena

    A Baker, Alan R H BakerARTICLEMind2005

    Many explanations in science make use of mathematics. But are there cases where the mathematical component of a scientific explanation is explanatory in its own right? This issue of mathematical explanations in science has been for the most part neglected. I argue that there are genuine mathematical explanations in science, and present in some detail an example of such an explanation, taken from evolutionary biology, involving periodical cicadas.…

  • Writing geography, making history: D. W. Meinig's geographical perspective on the history of America

    Open AccessAlan R H BakerARTICLEJournal of Historical Geography2005Cited by: 4References: 6

  • Geography and History: Bridging the Divide

    Open AccessAlan R H BakerBOOKGeography and History2003

    Geography and History is the first book for more than a century to examine comprehensively the interdependence of the two disciplines. Alan Baker, an internationally honoured historical geographer, focuses upon the work of North American, British and French historians and geographers but takes a global and interdisciplinary perspective upon the theory and practice of historical geography and geographical history. He analyses the views of historia…

  • Quantitative Parsimony and Explanatory Power

    Alan R H Baker, Alan BakerARTICLEThe British Journal for the…2003Cited by: 15References: 8

    The desire to minimize the number of individual new entities postulated is often referred to as quantitative parsimony. Its influence on the default hypotheses formulated by scientists seems undeniable. I argue that there is a wide class of cases for which the preference for quantitatively parsimonious hypotheses is demonstrably rational. The justification, in a nutshell, is that such hypotheses have greater explanatory power than less parsimonio…

  • The Indispensability Argument and Multiple Foundations for Mathematics

    Alan R H Baker, Alan BakerARTICLEThe Philosophical Quarterly2003Cited by: 5References: 6

    One recent trend in the philosophy of mathematics has been to approach the central epistemological and metaphysical issues concerning mathematics from the perspective of the applications of mathematics to describing the world, especially within the context of empirical science. A second area of activity is where philosophy of mathematics intersects with foundational issues in mathematics, including debates over the choice of set–theoretic axioms,…

  • On History and Geography and their ‘Bastard’ Child Historical Geography, and on its Relationship to Géohistoire and to Geographical History

    Open AccessAlan R H BakerARTICLEJapanese Journal of Human Geography2002Cited by: 1References: 4

    History and geography offer different but complementary ways of looking at the world. Historical geography has been referred to negatively as the 'bastard' child produced by the union of history and geography but I argue more positively that the intimate relations of history and geography have resulted in an entirely legitimate and robust hybrid whose strength lies in its diverse but coherent approaches to past geographies. Within past geographie…

  • Revolution and Environment in Southern France: Peasants, Lords and Murder in the Corbières, 1780-1830

    Open AccessAlan R H BakerARTICLEJournal of Historical Geography2001

  • Fraternity among the French Peasantry: Sociability and Voluntary Associations in the Loire Valley, 1815-1914

    Rebecca M Schwartz, Robert M Schwartz et al.ARTICLEThe American Historical Review2000

    Preface 1. Peasants and peasantry in nineteenth-century France 2. The theory and practice of fraternal association in nineteenth-century France 3. Loir-et-Cher during the nineteenth century: period, place and people 4. Insurance societies 5. Mutual aid societies 6. Fire-fighting Corps 7. Anti-Phylloxera syndicates 8. Agricultural associations 9. Synthesis: conclusions, comparisons and conjectures.

  • Military Service and Migration in Nineteenth‐Century France: Some Evidence from Loir‐Et‐Cher

    Open AccessAlan R H BakerARTICLETransactions of the Institute of…1998Cited by: 1

    Military service in France during the nineteenth century removed many young men from their own localities for long periods. The widely accepted claim that few conscripts returned home after completing their period of service is based on little evidence. The paper examines the conscription classes of 1856 and 1891 in two cantons in the departement of Loir-et-Cher. In those cases, there was not a significant relationship between conscription and mi…

  • The dead don't answer questionnaires”: Researching and writing historical geography

    Alan R H BakerARTICLEJournal of Geography in Higher…1997Cited by: 12References: 18

    The focus of studies in historical geography upon some time or period in the past rather than in the present means that historical geography is constrained in ways that the practice of contemporary human geography is not. This paper considers some of the general problems encountered in researching and writing historical geography. In relation to research, it examines the identification of a research topic, and discusses the problems associated wi…