Can physics function without math?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dash-IQ
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Function Physics
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
37 replies · 6K views
Physics as we know it cannot function without maths IMO.
The more interesting question is perhaps- "can maths function without physics?" It can but then what will be its use? It will just become a hobby with no effect on real life (like chess). So maths as we know it can't function without physics either!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
consciousness said:
Physics as we know it cannot function without maths IMO.
The more interesting question is perhaps- "can maths function without physics?" It can but then what will be its use? It will just become a hobby with no effect on real life (like chess). So maths as we know it can't function without physics either!

You're forgetting about government, business, banking, investment and industry that often use math in their daily work much of which is not related to physics.
 
jedishrfu said:
You're forgetting about government, business, banking, investment and industry that often use math in their daily work much of which is not related to physics.

You are right but I was talking about future advancements in mathematics. The new findings are not likely to be of much use in industries IMO.
 
Dash-IQ said:
Can it ever be possible? I know it might make no sense at all, but think about it just a bit.
How could our ancestors study without proper math that we have today...
I'm not sure if this is the right place to post it(New here).

Physics just doesn't say "what does up, must come down". Physics must also say when and where it must come down. In other words, there is a qualitative and quantitative aspect of physics which makes it testable!

Without mathematics, you can't do both.

Zz.
 
consciousness said:
You are right but I was talking about future advancements in mathematics. The new findings are not likely to be of much use in industries IMO.

Its good to have an opinion but better to reserve it. Remember when the US supercollider project was closed some of the physicists went to work for Wall St developing trading models.

http://guava.physics.uiuc.edu/~nigel/finance.html
 
ZapperZ said:
Physics just doesn't say "what goes up, must come down".

Zz.

Neither would musicians ever get paid if they merely said those words. They have to sing them, to a nice tune as well :approve:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
consciousness said:
Physics as we know it cannot function without maths IMO.
The more interesting question is perhaps- "can maths function without physics?" It can but then what will be its use? It will just become a hobby with no effect on real life (like chess). So maths as we know it can't function without physics either!

I'm not quite following. You've implied that something must be practically beneficial in order to function. Mathematics still functions whether there are practical applications for it or not.