Hi CHARLES.

17-Nov-03 13:59:00, CHARLES ANGELICH wrote to JASEN BETTS


 CA> 1237db9f1023 tech

 CA> Hello Jasen -

 CA> --8<--cut

 CA>>>>> All 'math' is not really math. Mathematics is the only pure
 CA>>>>> science with all others being based on estimates and 'best
 CA>>>>> guess'. I am just guessing that what the PBS program was
 CA>>>>> referring to was calculus and that is not technically 'math'.

 PR>>>> Actually it was more about topology

 CA>>> As I had said in the deleted portion of my reply, I did not see
 CA>>> the PBS program but was making an educated guess as to what they
 CA>>> were covering. 'Topology' would be even less of an exact
 CA>>> 'science' and less mathematical in the pure sense.

 JB>> so it's closer to set theory than arithmetic it's still
 JB>> mathematics, an exact science, there's still no room for
 JB>> interpretation.

 CA> I disagree.

 CA>>> Topology is sometimes referred to popularly as "rubber-sheet
 CA>>> geometry" because a figure can be changed to that of an
 CA>>> equivalent figure by bending, stretching, twisting, and the
 CA>>> like, but not by tearing or cutting."

 JB>> so distance and shape aren't at issue... topology deals with
 JB>> issues whare those quantities are unimportant.

 CA> In pure math there _are_ no quantities that are unimportant.
 CA> It's a 'best guess' if it's anything at all.

If you draw a simple closed figure on a sphere any pair of points with either
bot be on the same side of the boundary line (technically a "curve")
or one be inside and the other outside.  the shape of the figure it's area
and the distance between the two points is unimportant.







 -=> Bye <=-
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