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Full Idea
The epistemological account of mathematical structures depends on the size and complexity of the structure, but small, finite structures are apprehended through abstraction via simple pattern recognition.
Gist of Idea
We apprehend small, finite mathematical structures by abstraction from patterns
Source
Stewart Shapiro (Philosophy of Mathematics [1997], Intro)
Book Ref
Shapiro,Stewart: 'Philosophy of Mathematics:structure and ontology' [OUP 1997], p.11
A Reaction
Yes! This I take to be the reason why John Stuart Mill was not a fool in his discussion of the pebbles. Successive abstractions (and fictions) will then get you to more complex structures.