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Has anyone else had the thought that physics is actually more fundamental that mathematics? Also, read this article made me think of Feynman's advice which wa
by emmelaich 9y ago
Has anyone else had the thought that physics is actually more fundamental that mathematics?
Also, read this article made me think of Feynman's advice which was something like 'look for symmetries and look for conservation'
- gowld 9y agoTheoretical physics "shut up and calculate" is experimental mathematics.
- andrewflnr 9y agoYes, but not in a way that's germane here. Physics in the sense of the workings of the world is fundamental. Physics in the sense of science practiced by humans is infamous for spherical cows, point masses and mathematical funny business. Not the same thing at all. :)
- qubex 9y agoThe “look for symmetries and conservation” edict is a direct emanation of Emily Noether's (First) Theorem, which basically places conserved quantities of a system of differential equations with the symmetry groups that system must exhibit. A deep, amazing, beautiful, bi-directional relationship between differential dynamics and abstract group algebra.
- andrepd 9y agoThat's a discussion that doesn't make much sense. What do you mean by "more fundamental"? The fact is physics and mathematics treat entirely different subjects. Physics treats the physical, empirical world. Mathematics is the study of formal thought. It isn't meaningful to compare them that way.
- tim333 9y agoOr perhaps at the root they are the same thing.