Comments on: KC on Mathematics and Strings

By: Plato

Plato — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 19:42:48 +0000

The point is, regardless of the type of model choosen, it is well understood which area this mathematcs deals with?

That it’s math structures are relevant, as others are who will deal with the “quantum gravity issues” must be held valid to high energy perspectives?

Peter Woit already acknowledge “this relation” of mathematics.

Peter Woit: given the difficulties in getting to high enough energies, mathematical beauty and consistency may be of far more importance in terms of providing guidance about how to make progress than ever before in the history of physics.

So lets say you are given the WMAP information to look at? How would your perspective views adapt using the mathematics it does? How shall you now “see” having incorporated all the roads leading through GR, to have insightfulness into the nature of our universe?

Shall we ignore the “quantum nature” and origns of, classically defined in a GR universe? Site examples, and names, does not reduce the importance such models play.

The understanding that both the “quantum nature and GR” has been joined, has to be acknowledged.

If you scoff at it, you scoff at the history/math behind it?

Some feel Dirac an important event using matrice design mathematically consistent in the interactions, yet, had failed to see the “imaginary number” as discriptive element of the geometry exercise?

By: Thomas Larsson

Thomas Larsson — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 18:24:28 +0000

Is this the same K.C. Cole who in 1987 evidently credited Witten with the invention of string theory, to the dismay of said Witten? (”A Theory of Everything”, K.C. Cole, New York Times Magazine, October 18, 1987, p 20)

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 17:27:23 +0000

Hi.

Please bear with my layman’s understanding for my formal training is as an accountant; not in the sciences.

Could you elaborate further on your comment that “…mathematics is all about the science of patterns…”?

Thanks.

By: Thomas Larsson

Thomas Larsson — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 06:55:49 +0000

Quibbler, I didn’t disagree with you, but with the idea that one must either be pro-string or anti-math. Note that the title of this post contain the words “Mathematics and Strings” next to each other.

By: Quibbler

Quibbler — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 21:04:20 +0000

Found it:

“Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beautyâ€”a beauty cold and austere, like that of sculpture, without appeal to any part of our weaker nature, without the gorgeous trappings of painting or music, yet sublimely pure, and capable of a stern perfection such as only the greatest art can show.”

(Betrand Russell, in “The Study of Mathematics”)

–Q.

By: Quibbler

Quibbler — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 21:00:00 +0000

Garrett and Thomas Larsson: the quote I’m thinking of isn’t about the string controversy, or even the beauty of strings, it was just about the beauty of mathematics.

–Q.

By: Thomas Larsson

Thomas Larsson — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 06:06:41 +0000

The premise of this post seems to be that the mathematics of string theory is in some sense spectacularly beautiful. To us who have contributed to the discovery of post-stringy mathematics (including the correct mathematics of background independence), this assumption seems quite dubious.

By: Garrett

Garrett — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 03:10:09 +0000

Quibbler, I don’t know the Bertrand Russell quote you’re looking for, but some may find this one amusing:

“The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way.”

By: Kenny Easwaran

Kenny Easwaran — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 02:11:59 +0000

I haven’t yet listened to her piece, but do you know if she was intending to reference Michael Resnik’s book Mathematics as a Science of Patterns in that phrase “the science of patterns” that you use? Or is there some earlier source for that particular phrase?

By: Quibbler

Quibbler — Sun, 12 Mar 2006 23:38:01 +0000

’she likens it to poetry…. both mathematics and poetry “take a universe of complexity and distill it to essential truth”.

that’s pretty. Betrand Russell said something similar, but I can’t for the life of me remember the exact quote.

on a separate note (although still a science communication note): meme is what I say to you, Clifford…i was so looking forward to it…

–Q.