Search All of the Math Forum:
Views expressed in these public forums are not endorsed by
Drexel University or The Math Forum.
|
|
Virgil
Posts:
4,655
Registered:
1/6/11
|
|
Re: Cantor's absurdity, once again, why not?
Posted:
Mar 14, 2013 4:37 PM
|
|
In article <024bf074-c1c1-4a99-ad5d-bc592ef0375e@googlegroups.com>,
david petry <david_lawrence_petry@yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Thursday, March 14, 2013 3:17:06 AM UTC-7, fom wrote:
>
> > For example, Wittgenstein understood perfectly
> > well how to apply Cantor's argument and he
> > certainly is not thought of as believing in
> > a completed infinity.
>
>
> Here's an "acceptable" use of the diagonal argument: Given a provably
> well-defined list of provably well-defined real numbers (so that every digit
> of every number on the list can provably be computed), the diagonal argument
> gives us a new provably well-defined real number not on the list.
>
> Notice that that argument doesn't require the use of an actual infinite.
>
>
>
> > However, he also did not attack the mathematicians
> > who conducted investigations along those lines.
>
> He most certainly did mock them.
>
>
> FWIW, I was motivated to start this thread after reading an article you wrote
> about problems you had in your encounters with mathematicians who didn't
> accept your ideas. I'd like to know a little more about that, although I
> admit you really have no obligation to tell us more if you don't want to.
>
> The mathematics community has simply lost touch with reality.
Physicists may insist that mathematics be limited to what they regard as
"reality". But mathematicians needn't.
--
|
|
|
|
