An update on the OFCOM situation: As you know, censorship around the world has been ramping up at an alarming pace. OFCOM, the UK’s communications regulator, has singled out our community, demanding compliance with their Online Safety Act despite our minimal UK presence. This is a blatant overreach, and they have been sending letters pressuring us to comply with their censorship agenda.
Our platform is already blocked by many UK ISPs, yet they continue their attempts to stifle free speech. Standing up to this kind of regulatory overreach requires lots of resources to maintain our infrastructure and fight back against these unjust demands. If you value our community and want to support us during this time, we would greatly appreciate any and all donations.
Why Mathematics?: Mathematics appears to be a universal language that describes the natural world. It's a tool we use to understand and predict phenomena. The reason why the universe adheres to mathematical laws is a profound mystery that intersects with both philosophy and science. Some theories suggest that mathematics is a fundamental part of reality, while others propose that it is a human construct that remarkably aligns with how the universe operates.
Reactions:
ijustwishtodie, Praestat_Mori, AmberianDawn and 1 other person
This universe appears to obey principles that can be expressed using mathematics, so I look at mathematics as a tool/language for describing what the universe does.
I like the answer that it is both invented and discovered – what it does is discovered, but proving that it does so (within its own framework) is invented.
It's true all right-angled triangles on a level surface, so it's a discovery. Showing it is true, however, requires the invention of a proof. And over the centuries, mathematicians have devised hundreds of different techniques capable of proving the theorem. In short, maths is both invented and discovered.
Reactions:
enduringwinter, Praestat_Mori, Jarni and 1 other person
This universe appears to obey principles that can be expressed using mathematics, so I look at mathematics as a tool/language for describing what the universe does.
I like the answer that it is both invented and discovered – what it does is discovered, but proving that it does so (within its own framework) is invented.
It's true all right-angled triangles on a level surface, so it's a discovery. Showing it is true, however, requires the invention of a proof. And over the centuries, mathematicians have devised hundreds of different techniques capable of proving the theorem. In short, maths is both invented and discovered.
What I enjoy about math is that it doesn't need to be beautiful. I feel like humans drive themselves mad searching and pining for beauty in the natural world or the universe. Math doesn't need to plea or bend to emotions, or all of those fluffy touchy-feely considerations that we need to use to tackle subjective questions. Numbers and mathematical structures as arithmetical objects can exist independently of the thoughts, languages, and practices of human subjects.
There are unknown mathematical truths that people are still searching for. They're there to be discovered and as new mathematical truths are discovered math is "invented" to prove it.
What I enjoy about math is that it doesn't need to be beautiful. I feel like humans drive themselves mad searching and pining for beauty in the natural world or the universe. Math doesn't need to plea or bend to emotions, or all of those fluffy touchy-feely considerations that we need to use to tackle subjective questions. Numbers and mathematical structures as arithmetical objects can exist independently of the thoughts, languages, and practices of human subjects.
There are unknown mathematical truths that people are still searching for. They're there to be discovered and as new mathematical truths are discovered math is "invented" to prove it.
One of the main reasons I'm captivated by math is the beauty. I was wonderstruck by the elegance and power of differential geometry.
I think that within our universe math and science do count as objective truths (but my knowledge of the nature of our universe is subjective).
My guess would be that in any universe consistent enough to bring forth human level consciousness there would be science and mathematics that would be objective truths.
If you have some other kind of non-human intelligence on a planet where there aren't discrete objects, say an intelligence that evolved as some kind of creature on a gas planet where they can't necessarily say here are five rocks, you would have some kind of intelligence that would be totally beyond our way to view the universe rather than our mathematics -
Unless the intelligence is just a single entity, members of the intelligent "species" are likely to be countable by other members of that species.
Mathematics is a language so if you have to visualize ordering a quantity of milk on a shelf then transferring that into math, there is no difference between that and translating a poem into Portuguese? There is a big difference. I can translate a quantity of milk into mathematics, but I can't translate a poem into Portuguese! (And there are more ways to translate a poem that there are a simple quantity of milk).
The last part is the same thing I said in the first comment
Do you mean - Physics is more important than math (in a way)? Also that math is the language of physics (and science)? Physics is concerned with the universe and what its is doing. Math is concerned with its own self importance (*pure* vs applied math anyway). People that go into math are just generally people that like puzzles and stuff. Physics wants know the big questions and the philosophy of things and whats going on rather than just playing with some numbers. As I've said before.
Mathematical physics is interdisciplinary.
Math is a way of modeling
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
