Taking physical infinity seriously

DOI10.1007/978-3-319-41842-1_9MaRDI QIDQ3305323zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Don Perlis

Publication date 6 August 2020

Published in Outstanding Contributions to Logic (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1608.06878

zbMATH Keywords

infinitynon-standard analysisphysics

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Logic in the philosophy of science (03A10) Other applications of nonstandard models (economics, physics, etc.) (03H10)

Abstract: The concept of infinity took centuries to achieve recognized status in the field of mathematics, despite the fact that it was implicitly present in nearly all mathematical endeavors. Here I explore the idea that a similar development might be warranted in physics. Several threads will be speculatively examined, including some involving nonstandard analysis. While there are intriguing possibilities, there also are noteworthy difficulties.

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Cited in

(7)

• Speculations on some possible mathematical frameworks for the foundations of certain physical theories
• Mathematical, philosophical and semantic considerations on infinity. I: General concepts
• Naive infinitism: the case for an inconsistency approach to infinite collections
• Discrete or continuous? The quest for fundamental length in modern physics
• A philosophical inquiry into the geometry of knowledge
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 2010008 (Why is no real title available?)
• GROUPS OF WORLDVIEW TRANSFORMATIONS IMPLIED BY EINSTEIN’S SPECIAL PRINCIPLE OF RELATIVITY OVER ARBITRARY ORDERED FIELDS

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