Opposite of addition is subtraction and opposite of multiplication is division. These are the only four operators we are able to use in a sensible manner. Is there any any mathematical formula or calculation that permits us to justify irreversibility in nature. OR, is irreversibility an illusion?
vgopa...@rediffmail.com (V.Gopal) wrote in message <news:38af3945.0209271013.3b5cb54a@posting.google.com>... > Opposite of addition is subtraction and opposite of multiplication is > division. > These are the only four operators we are able to use in a sensible > manner. Is there any any mathematical formula or calculation that > permits us to justify irreversibility in nature. OR, is > irreversibility an illusion?
I'm not sure what you mean by "sensible" but, to me, there are many many more operations that we can use sensibly. One such irreversible (in the sense of lacking a strict inverse function) operation is squaring. If someone told you that they squared a number and got 9, you do not know whether the number they squared is 3 or -3. You do know its one of those two, but you cannot reverse the process only with the information "I squared some number and got 9". There are much worse examples. For instance if someone told you they took the sine function of a number and got 0, there are infinitely many possible numbers they could have applied sine to. Typically, irreversibility in nature is justified mathematically (entropy has a mathematical justification, for example, though it is statistical in nature).
vgopa...@rediffmail.com (V.Gopal) wrote in message <news:38af3945.0209271013.3b5cb54a@posting.google.com>... > Opposite of addition is subtraction and opposite of multiplication is > division. > These are the only four operators we are able to use in a sensible > manner. Is there any any mathematical formula or calculation that > permits us to justify irreversibility in nature. OR, is > irreversibility an illusion?
You might want to x-post to sci.physics. They love this topic. I think irreversibility in nature is the offspring of quantum mechanics (built-in probability), statistical mechanics (entropy) and chaos theory ("it's all downhill from here").
denon...@euclid.colorado.edu (Hugh Denoncourt) wrote in message <news:ea52d508.0209281829.751105a1@posting.google.com>... > vgopa...@rediffmail.com (V.Gopal) wrote in message <news:38af3945.0209271013.3b5cb54a@posting.google.com>... > > Opposite of addition is subtraction and opposite of multiplication is > > division. > > These are the only four operators we are able to use in a sensible > > manner. Is there any any mathematical formula or calculation that > > permits us to justify irreversibility in nature. OR, is > > irreversibility an illusion?
> I'm not sure what you mean by "sensible" but, to me, there are many > many more operations that we can use sensibly. One such irreversible > (in the sense of lacking a strict inverse function) operation is > squaring. If someone told you that they squared a number and got 9, > you do not know whether the number they squared is 3 or -3. You do > know its one of those two, but you cannot reverse the process only > with the information "I squared some number and got 9". There are > much worse examples. > For instance if someone told you they took the sine function of a > number and got 0, there are infinitely many possible numbers they > could have applied sine to. Typically, irreversibility in nature is > justified mathematically (entropy has a mathematical justification, > for example, though it is statistical in nature).
> Hugh
In mathematics by 'sensible operations' I mean 'which can be demonstrated'. 2+2=4 can demonstrated. Addition, subtration, multiplication and division can be demonstrated and the results can be proved to be true. In all these mathematical operations we use the LOGIC OF our SENSE OF SIGHT. But 'differentiation' and 'integration' cannot be demonstrated; 'I' cannot use the logic of 'MY' sense of sight in order to reject or accept integral and differential calculii. Therefore I can find no reason to accept it. To me calculus is 'insensible'. In mathematics we make a statement or proposition that begins. But every statement that begins does not end. But are able to find a finite 'value' for a statement that begins but does not end - like convergent series. Here the 'proposition' is irreversible. I am sure that 'irreversible' propositions represent irreversible processes in nature like natural radioactive decay, chain reaction etc. Is 'inegration' a reversible mathematical calculation?
markt...@yahoo.com (Mark) wrote in message <news:d437ee36.0209282307.249b3478@posting.google.com>... > vgopa...@rediffmail.com (V.Gopal) wrote in message <news:38af3945.0209271013.3b5cb54a@posting.google.com>... > > Opposite of addition is subtraction and opposite of multiplication is > > division. > > These are the only four operators we are able to use in a sensible > > manner. Is there any any mathematical formula or calculation that > > permits us to justify irreversibility in nature. OR, is > > irreversibility an illusion?
> You might want to x-post to sci.physics. They love this topic. I think > irreversibility in nature is the offspring of quantum mechanics > (built-in probability), statistical mechanics (entropy) and chaos > theory ("it's all downhill from here").
> -mark
There is no doubt that science introduces irreversibility in nature through quantum theory. The idea of quantum is definitely useful in explaining the reality. But, just as we cannot integrate particles we cannot integrate variuos quanta. Quantum theory cannot re-create the same sensible/concrete reality that it explains. We cannot re-construct reality from knowledge knowledge about it. Therefore I do not think that we should accept that irreversibility is an illusion.
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