5 ms·

It gets worse! When using solid angles over a sphere, you're still going to need to use 2Tau steradians to cover a sphere. This factor of 2 will continue to ca

It gets worse! When using solid angles over a sphere, you're still going to need to use 2Tau steradians to cover a sphere. This factor of 2 will continue to cause confusion for the Tau fans. Therefore we must also define a new constant Sigma = 4pi so we can cleanly and easily deal with steradians. Anybody up for writing the Sigma Manifesto? </sarcasm>

agumonkey 10y ago
Maybe we could subscript tau with dimension n.
jerf 10y ago
Does it help the pedagogy and understanding? Does it help form equations that match the form of other equations in some mathematically-meaningful way? Then, yes, I'd support it just fine. So the sarcasm fails. One of the other things I don't see mentioned very often in this discussion is that mathematics evolves. We almost never get it right the first time. The original Maxwell's Equations were 20 equations, rather hairy ones at that, now expressed in 4 with superior notation. Derivative and integral notation did not spring fully-formed from Newton or Leibniz, it has evolved. Matrix notation evolved. Number notation has evolved. The idea that pi itself may have to evolve because it wasn't quite right is perfectly natural and normal. What's bizarre is the idea that it must be held to be perfect, that criticism is all-but-morally wrong, and that anybody even talking about it is crazy. I blame our terrible math system, for teaching people that math consists entirely of edicts handed down from, I presume, aliens, or possibly some form of diety, since apparently it can't be humans as we're not allowed to touch the Holy Notation. But that's not how it works in reality, and there's nothing bizarre about the idea that we might want to change pi; what's bizarre is the idea that such a thing is blasphemy.
- jeffwass 10y ago
  >Does it help the pedagogy and understanding? Does it help form equations that match the form of other equations in some mathematically-meaningful way? Absolutely! In 3D systems. Particularly using spherical coordinates. It's ironic you chose Maxwell's Equations as your example because Sigma would get rid of those pesky factors of 4pi appearing in them when written in Gaussian units! Besides, Maxwell's Equations are really best represented as just one equation when expressed in covariant form.

agumonkey 10y ago

Maybe we could subscript tau with dimension n.

jerf 10y ago

Does it help the pedagogy and understanding? Does it help form equations that match the form of other equations in some mathematically-meaningful way? Then, yes, I'd support it just fine. So the sarcasm fails. One of the other things I don't see mentioned very often in this discussion is that mathematics evolves. We almost never get it right the first time. The original Maxwell's Equations were 20 equations, rather hairy ones at that, now expressed in 4 with superior notation. Derivative and integral notation did not spring fully-formed from Newton or Leibniz, it has evolved. Matrix notation evolved. Number notation has evolved. The idea that pi itself may have to evolve because it wasn't quite right is perfectly natural and normal. What's bizarre is the idea that it must be held to be perfect, that criticism is all-but-morally wrong, and that anybody even talking about it is crazy. I blame our terrible math system, for teaching people that math consists entirely of edicts handed down from, I presume, aliens, or possibly some form of diety, since apparently it can't be humans as we're not allowed to touch the Holy Notation. But that's not how it works in reality, and there's nothing bizarre about the idea that we might want to change pi; what's bizarre is the idea that such a thing is blasphemy.

jeffwass 10y ago
>Does it help the pedagogy and understanding? Does it help form equations that match the form of other equations in some mathematically-meaningful way? Absolutely! In 3D systems. Particularly using spherical coordinates. It's ironic you chose Maxwell's Equations as your example because Sigma would get rid of those pesky factors of 4pi appearing in them when written in Gaussian units! Besides, Maxwell's Equations are really best represented as just one equation when expressed in covariant form.