Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: John Locke
Hence, (a) there is a place containing the prime numbers, and it can't be this finite universe since a finite container cannot hold an infinite set. And (b) we can reason about some of the things in this funny place with - at least - a degree of confidence that cannot be obtained from our five physical senses. And finally (c) the physical universe around us obeys, systematically and totally, abstract mathematical laws.

Re a: There doesn't have to be a place containing prime numbers. To believe so would be taking an extreme Platonist position. Neither does one need infinite space to discuss infinite things. One only makes finitely derived statements about infinite things. There is no "infinite list of primes" only a proof that given any prime, one can produce a larger prime. These methods are discussed in books about "foundations of mathematics" and similar topics.

Re b: We reason about mathematics with more certainty because the whole subject is man-made.

Re c: There's a book called something like "The Unreasonable Effeciveness of Mathematics." We do invent things in math to describe the real world. It's often surprising that math works so well. We make a mathematical system do describe one thing (electrons, for example) then extrapolate the math to other things (positrons) and ofter, the other things exist physically. Pythagoras suggested "everything is number."

98 posted on 03/30/2002 7:44:41 AM PST by Doctor Stochastic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 72 | View Replies ]


To: Doctor Stochastic
Yes, I take an extreme Platonist position. We do not "construct" the primes - we discover them. Or did the number "29" not exist until the first human counted past 28?
117 posted on 04/02/2002 11:05:43 PM PST by John Locke
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 98 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson