From: "JACK L. URETSKY (C) 1996; HEP DIV., ARGONNE NATIONAL LAB, ARGONNE, IL 60439" <JLU@hep.anl.gov>
Date: Mon, 9 Feb 1998 20:09:09 -0600
Dear Ray Rogoway:
**********************************************************
What makes a principle (Fermat's, Huygen's, etc) a principle? In other
words what is the difference between a theory, a law, and especially a
principle?
Ray Rogoway
Independence High School
San Jose, CA 95133 (where we are almost under water)
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep
But I have papers in a heap
And reams to grade before I sleep
And reams to grade before I sleep.
And mud out of my driveway to sweep.
*******************
When a teacher, woman or man,
In poetry engages,
He/she should not display an inability to write verses that scan;
Such writing just enrages.
There are no universally agreed-upon definitions of these words.
On some occasions the characterizations come from the authors themselves.
Having said that, I'll now give you my (very flexible) understanding
of those words.
A principle is a method for arriving at a result;
A "theory" may be a mathematical model; on other occasions it might be
a wild (probably incorrect guess);
A "law" is an empirically discovered relationship; it is also
an expression of a "theory" by a bigoted proponent.
Regards,
Jack