Examples of infinity in the physical world

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SUMMARY

This discussion explores the concept of infinity in the physical world, emphasizing its representation beyond mere mathematical abstraction. Participants mention the distance to the universe's edge as an example of infinity and reference Skewes Number (10^10^10^34) to illustrate the vastness of numbers compared to physical quantities, such as the number of protons in the universe (approximately 10^80). The conversation also touches on the philosophical implications of infinity, including the infinite nature of paths in geometry and the concept of infinite smallness and largeness in physics.

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  • Understanding of mathematical concepts such as infinity and limits.
  • Familiarity with Skewes Number and its significance in number theory.
  • Basic knowledge of geometry, particularly the properties of circles and paths.
  • Awareness of physical concepts like thermodynamic temperature and quantum mechanics.
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  • Research the implications of Skewes Number in number theory and its applications.
  • Explore the concept of infinity in calculus, particularly limits and asymptotic behavior.
  • Investigate the philosophical implications of infinity in physics and mathematics.
  • Learn about the properties of geometric shapes and their relation to infinite paths.
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Mathematicians, physicists, philosophers, and anyone interested in the intersection of mathematics and the physical universe.

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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