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 | | From: | GRAVITYMECHANIC2 | | Subject: | MATHEMATICS AND REALITY | | Date: | 04 Jan 2005 16:54:04 GMT |
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 | MATHEMATICS AND REALITY
Copyright 1984 to 2005 Allen C. Goodrich
Newton's equation for gravitational force
F = Gm^2/L^2 is only true for particular values of L
, m and G.
And it provides the value of a force that does not exist
in the real world. Force of gravity is an illusion which
is created by the equation and which Newton assumed
to exist.
What does this tell us about mathematics and reality?
We must be very careful to define all of the terms of the
equation because it will be only these terms that are
related by the equation.
We must be very careful in drawing conclusions from
the equation, Equations represent reality only if they
are proven to be true by exhaustive experimentation
and experience. And then, only to the limit of our
present knowledge.
This is probably the most important lesson that
scientists and engineers must learn from experience.
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| | From: | Barb Knox | | Subject: | Re: MATHEMATICS AND REALITY | | Date: | Wed, 05 Jan 2005 18:43:11 +1300 |
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| In article <20050104115404.22097.00002984@mb-m06.news.cs.com>,
gravitymechanic2@cs.com (GRAVITYMECHANIC2) wrote:
>MATHEMATICS AND REALITY
>Copyright 1984 to 2005 Allen C. Goodrich
>
>Newton's equation for gravitational force F = Gm^2/L^2
Presumably you mean F = G*m1*m2/L^2
>is only true for particular values of L, m and G.
Newton certainly didn't think so, which is why he called it *universal*
gravitation. In particular, he showed that this formula works both for the
weight of items at the earth's surface and for the orbit of the moon. Since
then there has been a huge amount of confirmation of it, at both small and
large scales.
>And it provides the value of a force that does not exist
>in the real world.
Have you ever weighed anything on a spring scale?
>Force of gravity is an illusion which
> is created by the equation and which Newton assumed
> to exist.
How can a force (or an illusion for that matter) be created by an equation?
>What does this tell us about mathematics and reality?
For one, that it's pretty useful at describing various aspects of it.
>We must be very careful to define all of the terms of the
>equation because it will be only these terms that are
>related by the equation.
Your point being?
>We must be very careful in drawing conclusions from
>the equation, Equations represent reality only if they
>are proven to be true by exhaustive experimentation
>and experience. And then, only to the limit of our
>present knowledge.
Which universal gravitation has been (allowing for the modifications made by
General Relativity).
>This is probably the most important lesson that
>scientists and engineers must learn from experience.
What? That our knowledge is incomplete? That our representations of parts
of reality do not equal reality? What is your point (if any).
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