Hey @DavidDeutschOxf, I and my friend were having a discussion and we couldn’t figure out whether mathematics was discovered or invented? Also, do we have a concrete definition for discovery and invention. Any thoughts ?
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Replying to @roguesherlock
Mathematical abstractions such as the integers exist, and have their attributes, whether or not anyone knows them. E.g. no one knows whether there's an infinity of prime pairs or not. But there either is or isn't.
11 replies 1 retweet 20 likes -
Replying to @DavidDeutschOxf @roguesherlock
Yes. But also: their attributes are in some sense a logical consequence of the laws of nature, no? (To my mind, strengthening the non-exclusive case for 'discovery'.) I.e. the world of abstractions depends on the physical world to do its "kicking back" for it! (Via computation.)
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Replying to @CarnunMP @roguesherlock
Only what we know of them depends on the laws of physics. Their actual attributes are independent of physics.
1 reply 0 retweets 7 likes
How about: physics is a class of models describing changes in information, modeling requires language, math is the domain of all languages, languages are not metaphysical but instrumental, yet metaphysics is mathematical as well.
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