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Re: physics before math????



On Sat, 22 Jan 2000, Ludwik Kowalski wrote:

John Denker wrote:

..... Physics is validated by experiment. Math is validated
by rigor. ....

That is what philosophers say. They want laymen think that in
mathematics proofs come before discoveries and in physics
discoveries are made in laboratories, according to "experimental
method". In reality, as pointed out by others on this list, neither
physicists nor mathematicians feel obliged to follow the paths
prescribed by philosophers. ...

Ludwik,

I think you may be missing the point here. The question isn't, "How do we
make progress or come up with new ideas in math and/or physics?" but
rather, "How do we *validate* our theories regardless of their origins?"
In math the *only* acceptable validation is a rigorous "proof" that
conforms to accepted standards of deductive logic. In physics the *only*
acceptable validation is "agreement with the results of experiment" (which
gets us into a much fuzzier area!)

John Mallinckrodt mailto:ajm@csupomona.edu
Cal Poly Pomona http://www.csupomona.edu/~ajm