Examples of infinity in the physical world

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of "infinity" in the physical world, exploring its existence beyond a purely mathematical framework. Participants seek examples and interpretations of infinity, touching on various scientific and philosophical perspectives.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants inquire about tangible examples of infinity in the physical world, questioning its status as merely a mathematical concept.
  • One participant suggests that measuring the distance to the farthest reaches of the universe could illustrate infinity, though this is met with skepticism regarding the ability to reach an endpoint.
  • Another participant introduces a large finite number, Skewes Number, as a comparison to infinity, noting its significance in mathematical contexts.
  • Concerns are raised about the human mind's capacity to comprehend large numbers, with a participant arguing that even finite numbers can be difficult to grasp.
  • Discussions include the idea of infinitely small and infinitely large scales, with some participants suggesting that these concepts exist within the physical realm.
  • One participant mentions that physicists often describe division by zero as leading to infinity, but this is typically regarded as unphysical.
  • There is a debate about whether a circle can be considered an infinite path, with differing interpretations of what constitutes a path and infinity.
  • Another participant argues that while a circle contains an infinite number of points, it has a finite length, challenging the notion of it being an infinite path.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the existence and interpretation of infinity, with no consensus reached. Some agree on the complexity of understanding infinity, while others contest the definitions and implications of infinite paths.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge limitations in comprehending large numbers and the definitions of infinity, which may depend on context and interpretation. The discussion remains open-ended with unresolved mathematical and philosophical implications.

Adam
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examples of "infinity" in the physical world

Can anyone give me examples of "infinity" in the physical world around us? Ie. evidence of its existence as more than merely a mathematical concept.
 
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Why "merely"?
 
measure the distance to the farthest reach of nothing in the universe you will go forever, thus finding infinity.
 
Let a1 = 10
Let a2 = a1a1
Let a3 = a2a2
Let a4 = a3a3
...and so on
until
a1000000000000000000000
is reached.

How about this number a1000000000000000000000?

Can anyone give me examples of this scale of number in the physical world around us? Ie. evidence of its existence as more than merely a mathematical concept.

Unlike infinity, this is just a plain ordinary finite number.
 
To Adam

I find your question interesting.
I too have thought about that and have looked in
many sciences for the answer and other ways.
So far no luck,but I'm still trying.

Anyhow could you give some further idea on your
thinking in this regard?

"If the infinite you want to stride,just walk in the
finite to every side."
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
 
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I read in a book a while ago that the largest number that has any mathematical significance is Skewes Number: 10^10^10^34

It's the upper bound on the number where Gauss's prime number approximation Li(n) switches from overestimating the number of primes to underestimating the number of primes.

That's a one followed by 10^10^34 zeros; more zeros than there are atoms in the universe. There's something like 10^80 protons in the universe, and 10^10^50 possible games of chess. If you imagine the universe as a chess board, and switching any two protons constitutes a move, the number of possible games would then be comparable to Skewes number.
 
well there is now way to show infinity in the real world because the world is based on finite number see what i mean? space is the only thing that comes to mind, however we may just not be able to reach the end because our travel speed is too slow.
 
What about infinitely small and infinitely large within which we exist in between!?
 
When you flip a coin a finite number of times, you will get approximately 50% heads and 50% tails if the coin is "fair". The only way you will get exactly 50% heads and 50% tails out of a "fair" coin is if you flip it an infinite number of times. Everything in life is like flipping coins. As a physicist you probably know that the fact that you do not disintegrate from one second to the next is pure coincidence. Sure, chances for your staying in one piece throughout any given second are better than 50-50, but in principle you or I don't exist any more or less than infinity.
 
  • #10
No arguments from me on that!
 
  • #11
first of all even with real world examples the human mind can't even comprehend 1000 let alone skewes number. try it try to imagine 1000 nails in a box in front of you ......you can't and even if you tink you have COUNT them and don't add any more you will come up with a number much lower than 1000
and also the only thing infinite is the number of universes because the number of possibilities of things is endless and each one makes a new universe and if quantum teleportation were possible now the future and past would exist as one allowing time travel by teleportation to alternate universes where things go a little differently no matter how small the change and if you traveled this way you would never get back to your original universe.

SORRY got caught up in this rant
 
  • #12
That's kind of what I was getting at, Sniper... I just didn't feel up to trying to lavish my rather simplified statement:

"Infinitely small or Infinitely large"
 
  • #13
Quite often physicists describe a real number divided by zero as 'infinity' when it occurs in their equations, of course if this happens the situation is usually then described as unphysical or it is taken that there must be a flaw in the theory.

The only physical quantity that I can think of that may have a value equal to infinity in a physical situation is the thermodynamic temperature in Kelvins.
 
  • #14
If I draw a circle on the ground, is it not considered an infinite path?
 
  • #15
Originally posted by Adam
If I draw a circle on the ground, is it not considered an infinite path?

Well, if you take that as an infinite path than anything that starts and ends in the same place would be infinite, this would include say a square, just pointing out the obvious though, so please ignore me
 
  • #16
Originally posted by moooocow
Well, if you take that as an infinite path than anything that starts and ends in the same place would be infinite, this would include say a square, just pointing out the obvious though, so please ignore me

Yeah, but with spherical objects, such as a circle you would not be able to put segments on it. While with a square you could. Thus infinity still holds true to spherical objects, whereas infinity can't be done with geometric angles, such as the square which has two or more lines with distinct points.
 
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  • #17
Well, what's a path? most definitons in the broad areas maths and physics roughly define a path as something inbetween a start and a finish, even if the start is the same as the finish (i'm thinking discrete maths here). In this (very) broad definition a circle is not a path unless you define a start and a finish in which case it is not an infinite path.
 
  • #18
What do you mean by "infinite path"?

A circle, like any curve, no matter how short, contains an infinite number of points, but that is not what we normally mean when we talk about an "infinite path". A circle has a finite length and that is what we are normally talking about.
 
  • #19
What I mean is, if you draw a circle on the ground and start walking along the line, you will never reach the end of it.
 
  • #20
What I mean is, if you draw a circle on the ground and start walking along the line, you will never reach the end of it.
That means that it does not have a boundary, which, to me at least, is not equivalent to "infinite."
 

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