leah ratner
Mar14-04, 12:17 PM
Contemporary physics from its beginning in the 17th century has been progressing in two parallel directions, i.e. empirical and mathematical. One unresolved problem of epistemology that arose with such division is that these two branches cannot be well combined in the scientific theories. Each of them has its own role The empirical methods are used for governing the facts and testing the inferences of a hypothetical theory. Mathematical methods are used for description of the hypothetical physical ideas and making mathematical inferences from these hypothesis. The assumption is made that the mathematical inferences can be tested empirically and that such tests may, perhaps, though not prove but at least validate the theory. However, we should note that mathematical inference has a relative value as its result. Relative value can be calculated but not measured. The relative value is correct if assumption was correct. We need a logical structure as a framework of a physical theory in order to test the assumption. The logical structure was introduced for building and testing nonlinear theory of elasticity. The book "Non-linear Theory of Elasticity and Optimal Design" published by Elsevier/Science contains extensive discription of a completely new methodology in science.
Contents of this book can be found on the internet sites of the publisher and the sites of the different book sellers.
l.ratner,the author
Contents of this book can be found on the internet sites of the publisher and the sites of the different book sellers.
l.ratner,the author