Distinctively mathematical explanation and the problem of directionality: A quasi-erotetic solution

The increasing preponderance of opinion that some natural phenomena can be explained mathematically has inspired a search for a viable account of distinctively mathematical explanation. Among the desiderata for an adequate account is that it should solve the problem of directionality —the reversals of distinctively mathematical explanations should not count as members among the explanatory fold but any solution must also avoid the exclusion of genuine explanations. In what follows, I introduce and defend what I refer to as a quasi-erotetic solution which provides a remedy to the problem in the form of an additional necessary condition on explanation. •Counterfactual theories of explanations which include non-ontic explanations face a directionality problem.•The problem of directionality is a long-standing one in scientific explanation.•Non-ontic explanations include distinctively mathematical explanations.•I offer an additional necessary condition on explanation to block the directionality problem.