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I mean, historically mathematics have had areas full of "HACK:" comments, too--ones retroactively applied to the whole of Newtonian physics, even, but it's stil
by eropple 4y ago
I mean, historically mathematics have had areas full of "HACK:" comments, too--ones retroactively applied to the whole of Newtonian physics, even, but it's still useful enough that we keep it around!
- af3d 4y agoNewtonian physics is not "a hack". It yields very precise results for simple gravitational interactions, at least up to the point where relativistic effects begin to dominate. Even Einstein's equations are not 100% "perfect". All mathematical models have their limitations. (Although some do produce better approximations than others.)
- eropple 4y agoA hack is in the eye of the beholder, and many hacks are load-bearing and totally fine for the entire timespan for which the thing they're stashed within is expected to be useful. I agree with you that all mathematical models have their limitations--but the choice to use a good-enough one is, over sufficient time and distance, a tradeoff that can be described as such.
- sublinear 4y agoAll I meant is that the approximations in math are in the assumptions which is far easier to deal with in the grander scheme of things.
- eropple 4y agoAssumptions? Don't worry; we've got those too! if I had a nickel for all the times I've seen somebody pick 1 for "0, 1, is N" input cases? ;)