Re: OT: How did we survive ?


In article <47nhodFghm0nU1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
"michael adams" <mjadams25@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
|>
|> > !!!!! You aren't a mathematician, THAT'S for sure!
|>
|> Argument from authority. Oh dear!

Not at all. I am merely explaining that your ignorance causes your
misunderstanding.

|> > The rules of
|> > (pure) mathematics can be whatever the inventor chooses them to be,
|> > and the ONLY constraints are that they should be applied consistently
|> > and result in some interesting conclusions.
|>
|> Rules ? The fundamental logical relationships between whetever is
|> being represented by the symbols chosen will always remain constant.

Yer whaa? To take a simple, practical, example, what is 1.23+0.789?
Depending on the rules selected, all of 2.019, 2.02, 2.01, 0.019 and
an infinite choice of other values are possible.

|> No matter what rules are adopted. If w to the power of x = y
|> and w = 5 times x, and w = 3 times y, then whatever values of
|> w, x, and y are adopted providing w = 5 times x, and w = 3 times y,
|> then w to the power if x will always be y. It's this type or
|> relationship which mathematics attempts to elucidate, surely?

No. The above paragraph is completely false.

|> > And please note that I am a second-rate mathematician.
|>
|> Never mind. We're all good at something. Allegedly.

True. But there are levels of ignorance. It is not clear that
ignorance has a lower bound, unfortunately, as negative levels
of knowledge are regrettably common.

It's now what you don't know that causes the trouble; it's what
you know that ain't so.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
.

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