Do angles in a triangle always sum to 180 degrees?

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter TalkOrigin
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Mathematics
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
2 replies · 2K views
TalkOrigin
Messages
32
Reaction score
0
I'm clueless on mathematics and will soon begin the long road into its academic study. I saw this statement on the following website:
http://everything2.com/title/the+difference+between+mathematics+and+physics

the last poster says this:

"sometimes mathematics makes assumptions different to what holds in the real world. If I draw a triangle around the sun, the angles will add up to more than 180° because gravity curves space. Mathematics works only within the assumptions you put into it."

Is this true? Kind of goes against what I would assume is the purpose of mathematics (I thought mathematics was a expression of reality not dependent upon variables of reality?)

Thanks, and yes I know this is basic!
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
It's not really all that basic; no need to apologize. The poster appears to be talking about non-Euclidean geometries, specifically elliptic geometry. So yes, it's real.
 
Thanks =)

Well, that completely shattered any thoughts I had on mathematics haha