Is math natural or synthetic?
December 31st, 2018 at 5:47:09 AM permalink | |
Wizard Administrator Member since: Oct 23, 2012 Threads: 239 Posts: 6095 | Primes are the same, no matter what the base. They would get expressed differently in writing. In Contact, they were expressed without needing a base: ** - *** - ***** - ******* - *********** - ... I'm definitely in the finite universe camp, especially after taking advanced astronomy in college, the best class I took there.
Could be. Somehow, I think there is a pattern to them that we just haven't figured out yet. Just the prime spiral I think argues they are not totally random in their placement. Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber |
December 31st, 2018 at 6:09:55 AM permalink | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pacomartin Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 1068 Posts: 12569 |
In the Math Olympiad question, there is clearly a patter to the Greatest Common Divisor, but it is still difficult to prove Etop=a^2+b^2; Ebot=2*a*b+1, then prove Etop/Ebot is an integer if and only if a=b^3 ( Etop/Ebot=a^2), or when b=a^3 ( Etop/Ebot=b^2).
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December 31st, 2018 at 6:11:36 AM permalink | |
AZDuffman Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 135 Posts: 18208 |
You can explain that over a few beers at Bugsy's Bar one day. I'll buy first round.
Don't look at me there, I am still working on the pattern for "0" Roulette. The President is a fink. |
December 31st, 2018 at 6:18:15 AM permalink | |
Wizard Administrator Member since: Oct 23, 2012 Threads: 239 Posts: 6095 |
Touche! Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber |
December 31st, 2018 at 7:41:12 AM permalink | |
FrGamble Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 67 Posts: 7596 | I love math, especially when you get to the point where numbers almost disappear. It becomes more like logic to figure out the answer. I think that any material thing like the universe has to be finite. While we can have the concept of mathematical infinite, there is no such thing as an actual infinite. Without a absolute starting point there could be no present. “It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” ( |
December 31st, 2018 at 3:16:56 PM permalink | |
pew Member since: Jan 8, 2013 Threads: 4 Posts: 1232 | You are correct that infinity is a concept that has no basis in reality. This math question is very interesting to me in that I've been putting together an argument for creation or intelligent design vs naturalism which I define as the view that only matter and energy exist (energy alone actually but an individual would be hard pressed to even define what energy is). My contention is that there are other things that exist that aren't matter and energy, mathematics for one thing, consciousness for another. Love, morality, beauty and art defy quantification (science) therefore cannot be constrained by the space time continuum. |
December 31st, 2018 at 4:22:52 PM permalink | |
Evenbob Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 146 Posts: 25011 |
How would you know, when the people trained in this stuff don't know. There's so much to learn, we only know the tiniest part. Don't be like the Church and just blurt things out as settled science when none of it is settled at all. If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose. |
December 31st, 2018 at 7:14:14 PM permalink | |
pew Member since: Jan 8, 2013 Threads: 4 Posts: 1232 | Who is trained in infinity? One things for sure, you're right about the fact they (whoever "they" are) don't know. That's the point. |
December 31st, 2018 at 7:15:26 PM permalink | |
pew Member since: Jan 8, 2013 Threads: 4 Posts: 1232 | Infinity is not part of science by the way. |
December 31st, 2018 at 7:32:56 PM permalink | |
Evenbob Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 146 Posts: 25011 |
Uh Huh. Infinity (symbol: ∞) is a concept describing something without any bounds or larger than any natural number. ... Modern mathematics uses the general concept of infinity in the solution of many practical and theoretical problems, such as in calculus and set theory, and the idea is also used in physics and the other sciences. If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose. |