What are numbers?

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

We use numbers every day, but taking a step back, what are they, really — and why do they do such a damn good job of helping us explain the universe (such as Newtonian laws)? Mathematical structures can consist of numbers, sets, groups, and points — but are they real objects, or do they simply describe relationships that necessarily exist in all structures? Plato argued that numbers were real (it doesn't matter that you can't "see" them), but formalists insisted that they were merely formal systems (well-defined constructions of abstract thought based on math). This is essentially an ontological problem, where we're left baffled about the true nature of the universe and which aspects of it are human constructs and which are truly tangible.

http://io9.com/5945801/8-philosophical-questions-that-well-never-solve

Number's are an abstract concept. They are our answer to the question, "How can I measure this?" To measure is to count.

The Hottentot language has the most primitive counting system in world. Hottentots have words for one, two and many. I infer that the concept of two implies the concept of 1/2. Numbers are man's concepts for solving the problem of needing to quantify and predict past and future observations of the world around him.

Have a great holiday.

[rrneck]

1. The human need to make human concepts a reality is pretty interesting.

The same need that gives us the arts gives us oppressive religions and unworkable public policy.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

2. IMHO...

...numbers are the human concept that we use to engage in measurement. We'll get better at that as we get a better grasp on what it is we're measuring.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

6. Quotations

"All religions are founded on the fear of the many and the cleverness of the few." - Stendhal
"A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have." - copyrighted in 1957 by the General Features Corporation

[ismnotwasm]

3. The only things that are really real

How they manifest, well that's a different question

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

5. Smokey had the idea

" One thing I know for sure
is really really real
I never felt before
the way you make me feel"

[ismnotwasm]

10. Heh!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

4. Math is a complex and universal language in order that we can communicate as precisely

as possible. Thanks for posting this.

Have a great holiday!

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

7. That and more :)

Last edited Sat May 25, 2013, 01:23 PM - Edit history (1)

Math is the chance for the dedicated student to precisely prove his knowledge of the method of a proof or solution and his ignorance of why the world works as it does.



You have a great weekend.

"Most rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read."
- Frank Zappa

[Tuesday Afternoon]

8. Math is a human trying to measure the distance of God.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

9. Does anyone know...

...where the love God goes...
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?

[ismnotwasm]

11. Still there; Turns into a particle of course

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

12. Maybe...

...the loveton?

[ismnotwasm]

13. Oh my God

If they haven't used that one---they need too.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

14. That's the particle that...

...carries the quantized force of love. We could all use more of them.

[struggle4progress]

15. All kinds of different things are called numbers

It's necessary to be more precise

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

16. Yes but...

...aren't the things that "are called numbers" numbers?
Don't they all measure something?

[struggle4progress]

17. Dunno. The finite whole numbers admit two interpretations:

as counting numbers ("cardinals" - 1, 2, 3, ...) and as ordering numbers ("ordinals" - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, ...): these ideas both generalize to infinite numbers, and (assuming the axiom of choice) all of the infinite cardinals can be regarded as ordinals, but only some of the infinite ordinals are cardinals

The complex numbers can be regarded as telling us something about the geometry of the real plane and can be generalized (somewhat) to Hamilton's quaternions, which can be used (for example) to code 3-dimensional rotations

So-called "nimbers" provide insight into short impartial two-person games; and John Conway has devised a notion of "two-person game" that includes many things normally called "numbers" as particular examples

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

18. Numbers as scalars are also a subset of...

...more complex constructions called tensors: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensor

Almost every aspect of number theory relates to means to describe nature and the universe.