Author: Ronny Desmet
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781940447131
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 246
Book Description
Despite the many revolutions in science and philosophy since Newton and Hume, the outdated idea of an inevitable war between the abstractions of science and the deep intuitions of humankind is reconfirmed, again and again. The history of science is interpreted and presented as a succession of victories over the army of our misleading intuitions, and each success of science is marketed as a defeat of intuition. Instead of endorsing the modern dogma that a truth cannot be scientific unless it hurts the deep intuitions of mankind, and that we cannot be scientific unless we tame the authority of our intuition, the authors of this collection highlight developments in 20th and early 21st century science and philosophy that have the potential to support, or even further, Whitehead's philosophical integration of the abstractions of mathematics and physics with the deep intuitions of humankind. Instead of accepting the authority of science-inspired philosophers to reduce and disenchant nature and humankind in the name of our most successful scientific theories, the authors stress the contemporary relevance of Whitehead's philosophical research program of thinking things together - science and intuition; facts and values - to promote the fundamental coherence that is required to start building an ecological civilization.
Intuition in Mathematics and Physics
Author: Ronny Desmet
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781940447131
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 246
Book Description
Despite the many revolutions in science and philosophy since Newton and Hume, the outdated idea of an inevitable war between the abstractions of science and the deep intuitions of humankind is reconfirmed, again and again. The history of science is interpreted and presented as a succession of victories over the army of our misleading intuitions, and each success of science is marketed as a defeat of intuition. Instead of endorsing the modern dogma that a truth cannot be scientific unless it hurts the deep intuitions of mankind, and that we cannot be scientific unless we tame the authority of our intuition, the authors of this collection highlight developments in 20th and early 21st century science and philosophy that have the potential to support, or even further, Whitehead's philosophical integration of the abstractions of mathematics and physics with the deep intuitions of humankind. Instead of accepting the authority of science-inspired philosophers to reduce and disenchant nature and humankind in the name of our most successful scientific theories, the authors stress the contemporary relevance of Whitehead's philosophical research program of thinking things together - science and intuition; facts and values - to promote the fundamental coherence that is required to start building an ecological civilization.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781940447131
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 246
Book Description
Despite the many revolutions in science and philosophy since Newton and Hume, the outdated idea of an inevitable war between the abstractions of science and the deep intuitions of humankind is reconfirmed, again and again. The history of science is interpreted and presented as a succession of victories over the army of our misleading intuitions, and each success of science is marketed as a defeat of intuition. Instead of endorsing the modern dogma that a truth cannot be scientific unless it hurts the deep intuitions of mankind, and that we cannot be scientific unless we tame the authority of our intuition, the authors of this collection highlight developments in 20th and early 21st century science and philosophy that have the potential to support, or even further, Whitehead's philosophical integration of the abstractions of mathematics and physics with the deep intuitions of humankind. Instead of accepting the authority of science-inspired philosophers to reduce and disenchant nature and humankind in the name of our most successful scientific theories, the authors stress the contemporary relevance of Whitehead's philosophical research program of thinking things together - science and intuition; facts and values - to promote the fundamental coherence that is required to start building an ecological civilization.
Thinking About Equations
Author: Matt A. Bernstein
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118210646
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 189
Book Description
An accessible guide to developing intuition and skills for solving mathematical problems in the physical sciences and engineering Equations play a central role in problem solving across various fields of study. Understanding what an equation means is an essential step toward forming an effective strategy to solve it, and it also lays the foundation for a more successful and fulfilling work experience. Thinking About Equations provides an accessible guide to developing an intuitive understanding of mathematical methods and, at the same time, presents a number of practical mathematical tools for successfully solving problems that arise in engineering and the physical sciences. Equations form the basis for nearly all numerical solutions, and the authors illustrate how a firm understanding of problem solving can lead to improved strategies for computational approaches. Eight succinct chapters provide thorough topical coverage, including: Approximation and estimation Isolating important variables Generalization and special cases Dimensional analysis and scaling Pictorial methods and graphical solutions Symmetry to simplify equations Each chapter contains a general discussion that is integrated with worked-out problems from various fields of study, including physics, engineering, applied mathematics, and physical chemistry. These examples illustrate the mathematical concepts and techniques that are frequently encountered when solving problems. To accelerate learning, the worked example problems are grouped by the equation-related concepts that they illustrate as opposed to subfields within science and mathematics, as in conventional treatments. In addition, each problem is accompanied by a comprehensive solution, explanation, and commentary, and numerous exercises at the end of each chapter provide an opportunity to test comprehension. Requiring only a working knowledge of basic calculus and introductory physics, Thinking About Equations is an excellent supplement for courses in engineering and the physical sciences at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also a valuable reference for researchers, practitioners, and educators in all branches of engineering, physics, chemistry, biophysics, and other related fields who encounter mathematical problems in their day-to-day work.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118210646
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 189
Book Description
An accessible guide to developing intuition and skills for solving mathematical problems in the physical sciences and engineering Equations play a central role in problem solving across various fields of study. Understanding what an equation means is an essential step toward forming an effective strategy to solve it, and it also lays the foundation for a more successful and fulfilling work experience. Thinking About Equations provides an accessible guide to developing an intuitive understanding of mathematical methods and, at the same time, presents a number of practical mathematical tools for successfully solving problems that arise in engineering and the physical sciences. Equations form the basis for nearly all numerical solutions, and the authors illustrate how a firm understanding of problem solving can lead to improved strategies for computational approaches. Eight succinct chapters provide thorough topical coverage, including: Approximation and estimation Isolating important variables Generalization and special cases Dimensional analysis and scaling Pictorial methods and graphical solutions Symmetry to simplify equations Each chapter contains a general discussion that is integrated with worked-out problems from various fields of study, including physics, engineering, applied mathematics, and physical chemistry. These examples illustrate the mathematical concepts and techniques that are frequently encountered when solving problems. To accelerate learning, the worked example problems are grouped by the equation-related concepts that they illustrate as opposed to subfields within science and mathematics, as in conventional treatments. In addition, each problem is accompanied by a comprehensive solution, explanation, and commentary, and numerous exercises at the end of each chapter provide an opportunity to test comprehension. Requiring only a working knowledge of basic calculus and introductory physics, Thinking About Equations is an excellent supplement for courses in engineering and the physical sciences at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also a valuable reference for researchers, practitioners, and educators in all branches of engineering, physics, chemistry, biophysics, and other related fields who encounter mathematical problems in their day-to-day work.
Mathematics of Classical and Quantum Physics
Author: Frederick W. Byron
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 0486135063
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 674
Book Description
Graduate-level text offers unified treatment of mathematics applicable to many branches of physics. Theory of vector spaces, analytic function theory, theory of integral equations, group theory, and more. Many problems. Bibliography.
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 0486135063
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 674
Book Description
Graduate-level text offers unified treatment of mathematics applicable to many branches of physics. Theory of vector spaces, analytic function theory, theory of integral equations, group theory, and more. Many problems. Bibliography.
All the Mathematics You Missed
Author: Thomas A. Garrity
Publisher: 清华大学出版社有限公司
ISBN: 9787302090854
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 380
Book Description
Publisher: 清华大学出版社有限公司
ISBN: 9787302090854
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 380
Book Description
Explorations in Mathematical Physics
Author: Don Koks
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387309438
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 549
Book Description
Have you ever wondered why the language of modern physics centres on geometry? Or how quantum operators and Dirac brackets work? What a convolution really is? What tensors are all about? Or what field theory and lagrangians are, and why gravity is described as curvature? This book takes you on a tour of the main ideas forming the language of modern mathematical physics. Here you will meet novel approaches to concepts such as determinants and geometry, wave function evolution, statistics, signal processing, and three-dimensional rotations. You will see how the accelerated frames of special relativity tell us about gravity. On the journey, you will discover how tensor notation relates to vector calculus, how differential geometry is built on intuitive concepts, and how variational calculus leads to field theory. You will meet quantum measurement theory, along with Green functions and the art of complex integration, and finally general relativity and cosmology. The book takes a fresh approach to tensor analysis built solely on the metric and vectors, with no need for one-forms. This gives a much more geometrical and intuitive insight into vector and tensor calculus, together with general relativity, than do traditional, more abstract methods. Don Koks is a physicist at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation in Adelaide, Australia. His doctorate in quantum cosmology was obtained from the Department of Physics and Mathematical Physics at Adelaide University. Prior work at the University of Auckland specialised in applied accelerator physics, along with pure and applied mathematics.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387309438
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 549
Book Description
Have you ever wondered why the language of modern physics centres on geometry? Or how quantum operators and Dirac brackets work? What a convolution really is? What tensors are all about? Or what field theory and lagrangians are, and why gravity is described as curvature? This book takes you on a tour of the main ideas forming the language of modern mathematical physics. Here you will meet novel approaches to concepts such as determinants and geometry, wave function evolution, statistics, signal processing, and three-dimensional rotations. You will see how the accelerated frames of special relativity tell us about gravity. On the journey, you will discover how tensor notation relates to vector calculus, how differential geometry is built on intuitive concepts, and how variational calculus leads to field theory. You will meet quantum measurement theory, along with Green functions and the art of complex integration, and finally general relativity and cosmology. The book takes a fresh approach to tensor analysis built solely on the metric and vectors, with no need for one-forms. This gives a much more geometrical and intuitive insight into vector and tensor calculus, together with general relativity, than do traditional, more abstract methods. Don Koks is a physicist at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation in Adelaide, Australia. His doctorate in quantum cosmology was obtained from the Department of Physics and Mathematical Physics at Adelaide University. Prior work at the University of Auckland specialised in applied accelerator physics, along with pure and applied mathematics.
Intuition in Science and Mathematics
Author: Efraim Fischbein
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0306472376
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 234
Book Description
In writing the present book I have had in mind the following objectives: - To propose a theoretical, comprehensive view of the domain of intuition. - To identify and organize the experimental findings related to intuition scattered in a wide variety of research contexts. - To reveal the educational implications of the idea, developed for science and mathematics education. Most of the existing monographs in the field of intuition are mainly concerned with theoretical debates - definitions, philosophical attitudes, historical considerations. (See, especially the works of Wild (1938), of Bunge (1 962) and of Noddings and Shore (1 984).) A notable exception is the book by Westcott (1968), which combines theoretical analyses with the author’s own experimental studies. But, so far, no attempt has been made to identify systematically those findings, spread throughout the research literature, which could contribute to the deciphering of the mechanisms of intuition. Very often the relevant studies do not refer explicitly to intuition. Even when this term is used it occurs, usually, as a self-evident, common sense term.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0306472376
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 234
Book Description
In writing the present book I have had in mind the following objectives: - To propose a theoretical, comprehensive view of the domain of intuition. - To identify and organize the experimental findings related to intuition scattered in a wide variety of research contexts. - To reveal the educational implications of the idea, developed for science and mathematics education. Most of the existing monographs in the field of intuition are mainly concerned with theoretical debates - definitions, philosophical attitudes, historical considerations. (See, especially the works of Wild (1938), of Bunge (1 962) and of Noddings and Shore (1 984).) A notable exception is the book by Westcott (1968), which combines theoretical analyses with the author’s own experimental studies. But, so far, no attempt has been made to identify systematically those findings, spread throughout the research literature, which could contribute to the deciphering of the mechanisms of intuition. Very often the relevant studies do not refer explicitly to intuition. Even when this term is used it occurs, usually, as a self-evident, common sense term.
Physics for Mathematicians
Author: Michael Spivak
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780914098324
Category : Mechanics
Languages : en
Pages : 733
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780914098324
Category : Mechanics
Languages : en
Pages : 733
Book Description
Trick or Truth?
Author: Anthony Aguirre
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319274953
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 253
Book Description
The prize-winning essays in this book address the fascinating but sometimes uncomfortable relationship between physics and mathematics. Is mathematics merely another natural science? Or is it the result of human creativity? Does physics simply wear mathematics like a costume, or is math the lifeblood of physical reality? The nineteen wide-ranging, highly imaginative and often entertaining essays are enhanced versions of the prize-winning entries to the FQXi essay competition “Trick or Truth”, which attracted over 200 submissions. The Foundational Questions Institute, FQXi, catalyzes, supports, and disseminates research on questions at the foundations of physics and cosmology, particularly new frontiers and innovative ideas integral to a deep understanding of reality, but unlikely to be supported by conventional funding sources.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319274953
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 253
Book Description
The prize-winning essays in this book address the fascinating but sometimes uncomfortable relationship between physics and mathematics. Is mathematics merely another natural science? Or is it the result of human creativity? Does physics simply wear mathematics like a costume, or is math the lifeblood of physical reality? The nineteen wide-ranging, highly imaginative and often entertaining essays are enhanced versions of the prize-winning entries to the FQXi essay competition “Trick or Truth”, which attracted over 200 submissions. The Foundational Questions Institute, FQXi, catalyzes, supports, and disseminates research on questions at the foundations of physics and cosmology, particularly new frontiers and innovative ideas integral to a deep understanding of reality, but unlikely to be supported by conventional funding sources.
The Role of Mathematics in Physical Sciences
Author: Giovanni Boniolo
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402031076
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 246
Book Description
Even though mathematics and physics have been related for centuries and this relation appears to be unproblematic, there are many questions still open: Is mathematics really necessary for physics, or could physics exist without mathematics? Should we think physically and then add the mathematics apt to formalise our physical intuition, or should we think mathematically and then interpret physically the obtained results? Do we get mathematical objects by abstraction from real objects, or vice versa? Why is mathematics effective into physics? These are all relevant questions, whose answers are necessary to fully understand the status of physics, particularly of contemporary physics. The aim of this book is to offer plausible answers to such questions through both historical analyses of relevant cases, and philosophical analyses of the relations between mathematics and physics.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402031076
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 246
Book Description
Even though mathematics and physics have been related for centuries and this relation appears to be unproblematic, there are many questions still open: Is mathematics really necessary for physics, or could physics exist without mathematics? Should we think physically and then add the mathematics apt to formalise our physical intuition, or should we think mathematically and then interpret physically the obtained results? Do we get mathematical objects by abstraction from real objects, or vice versa? Why is mathematics effective into physics? These are all relevant questions, whose answers are necessary to fully understand the status of physics, particularly of contemporary physics. The aim of this book is to offer plausible answers to such questions through both historical analyses of relevant cases, and philosophical analyses of the relations between mathematics and physics.
Methods of Mathematical Physics, Volume 2
Author: Richard Courant
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 3527414487
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 867
Book Description
Since the first volume of this work came out in Germany in 1937, this book, together with its first volume, has remained standard in the field. Courant and Hilbert's treatment restores the historically deep connections between physical intuition and mathematical development, providing the reader with a unified approach to mathematical physics. The present volume represents Richard Courant's final revision of 1961.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 3527414487
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 867
Book Description
Since the first volume of this work came out in Germany in 1937, this book, together with its first volume, has remained standard in the field. Courant and Hilbert's treatment restores the historically deep connections between physical intuition and mathematical development, providing the reader with a unified approach to mathematical physics. The present volume represents Richard Courant's final revision of 1961.