Reuben Louis Goodstein (born 15 December 1912 in London, died 8 March 1985 in Leicester) was an English mathematician with a strong interest in the philosophy and teaching of mathematics.

As a boy he attended St Paul's School in London. He received his degree and Masters in from Cambridge University. After this he worked at the University of Reading but ultimately spent most of his academic career in Leicester University. He earned his Phd from the University of London in 1946 while still working in Reading. Goodstein also studied under Wittgenstein and John Littlewood.

His work on Finitism, for example "Contructive Formalism. Essays on the foundations of mathematics", is remarkably readable and clear.

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