• flamingo_pinyata@sopuli.xyz
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    23 days ago

    If someone needs another existental crisis here’s a prompt:

    • Is math universal or is it a system of thought invented by humans and it only makes sense to us?
    • Artyom@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      23 days ago

      Good thing physicists solved that problem already; if everything is made up and can only be observed through our preconceived notions and there’s no way to prove a world beyond them, then it doesn’t matter. The universe we can observe is reality and everything beyond that is beyond meaningful definition and is therefore useless, which is how we define “philosophy”.

    • Codex@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      23 days ago

      Models. Humans hold models of the world in their minds, math helps you understand and create more complex and consistent models. You always exist in a simulation of your own construction to make sense of the universe.

      My feeling is that no model can ever fully capture a complete description of reality, the information isn’t compressible to such a degree that approximations or abstractions can be lossless.

      Most of what we consider to be invention is merely combinatoric novelty.

    • JackbyDev@programming.dev
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      23 days ago

      Math is definitely universal. The math behind things in science wouldn’t suddenly change on different alien planets. Take things like V = IR. That relies on multiplication and division. It’s gonna be the same on other planets. The units, notation, etc. will be different but the concepts would be the same.

      • I'm back on my BS 🤪@lemmy.autism.place
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        23 days ago

        I’m no STEM major, so I may be way off, but this is how I see it.

        V = IR isn’t math. It’s a way of defining the relationship and outcome of two specific physical qualities. It says that we combine the resistance of a medium ( R) with the current flowing through it (I) into another joint emergent quality we call voltage (V). We do this because it makes our understanding of the physical world easier to manage since this relationship has helpful applications.

        Math is simply patterns in the relationships of quantities. It excludes any physical units or qualities. In other words, math is the art of counting.

        • JackbyDev@programming.dev
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          0
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          23 days ago

          I think you’re misunderstanding my point. I’m not saying the relationship of V = IR means math exists, what I’m saying is that because that relationship factually exists aliens would have a way to quantify that relationship. Because of that they would have a way to express the concepts of multiplication and division.