Is Finitism a Key to Understanding the Infinity in Physics and Math?

[cam875]

I was only pointing out that technically we have a mathematical understanding of it (calculus and so on) but we have never once experienced anything infinite, its not the way our brains work because we live in a little tiny finite portion of the universe. Not defying limits to infinity and all that stuff.

 

[ValenceE]

Hello to all,

As a lay person, having a loving interest in our magnificent Universe, its workings and my place in it, infinity is a subject that intrigued me since the beginning. I’ve come to accept the concept, the moment I realized that the oneness of the universe encompasses not only the infinite exterior to me, but also, and less evident (for me anyway), the infinite inside of me.

All I had to do, was to project myself in the infinitely small to join and merge with the infinitely large, fusioning with it. No longer these questions about the vastness, the infinite vastness of the universe… I could be one with it and it was marvellous, still is. So, imo, we all have access to infinity through our very own inner selves.

Not too long after having these thoughts (that was long ago though), as I was talking about it with a friend, something happened that kind of gave me a sense of this finite / infinite duality. It’s nothing scientific, nor philosophical, only subjective, in the moment. It could be related to such topics as conscience, reality, mind/body/soul, inner self and also to the question of “does something exist if we’re not looking at it…”, you can do it right now as you read this;

The finite part is what you can see within your peripheral vision, the infinite part is everything that is behind and around… you cannot see it with your eyes but your mind’s eye can. When I ‘look’ that way, I can definitely sense infinity.


There are all kinds of questions about our world, human nature and everything else, which just cannot yet be answered in total truth by our current knowledge, coming out of all fields of research.

All the best known, understood and working theories, along with the legion of promising pretenders, still fall short but certainly have been serving us humans with their findings, helping develop, shape and better our daily lives. Won’t go into how well or not this knowledge is used or distributed though, this is more related to Love than anything else.



Regards,

VE


Edit: oops !... just realized I mixed two threads in this response... i read both of them earlier today but somehow merged the two together in this post. The other was about matter. Post edited

 

[IamWhatIam]

Hello to all,

As a lay person, having a loving interest in our magnificent Universe, its workings and my place in it, infinity is a subject that intrigued me since the beginning. I’ve come to accept the concept, the moment I realized that the oneness of the universe encompasses not only the infinite exterior to me, but also, and less evident (for me anyway), the infinite inside of me.

The finite part is what you can see within your peripheral vision, the infinite part is everything that is behind and around… you cannot see it with your eyes but your mind’s eye can. When I ‘look’ that way, I can definitely sense infinity.

Hi ValancE, the above statements caught my eye..I want to get more into the definition of infinity, of course still being under rational domain..Whatever we see in this universe is bound by these 3 dimensions-Time, space and causation. Anything you take, began in time, limited to a space and is an effect of a cause.May be in some cases, the cause is not as tangible as in case of others. If there is an effect, it presupposes a cause, even as per science. Science finds it tough to accept something coming out of nothing.Isn't it

So this world,being subjected to time, space and causation is finite and as such, if there is something as Infinite, it must be beyond these dimensions. If we agree with this, we can infer 3 points: 1) the infinite is ALWAYS existing (since being beyond time), 2)It is existing
EVERYWHERE, 3)It is causeless and beyond the cause-effect phenomenon(since beyond causation).

Now, where is the point to say - I (as an individual) can observe / perceive the infinity? because I am one with the infinity. I am not existing outside of infinity to gauze it.This is why,in the field of consciousness, despite so many experiments, we are still at where we
began a century ago. May be Action is only for clarity of mind and not for understanding reality ad reality is achieved by discrimination than physcial activity.

 

[ValenceE]

Hello IamWhatIam,

You see, for me, Time could be both infinite, as an absolute, and finite as an elemental parameter that, through mathematical formulation, is fusioned with space in/as Spacetime.

Infinity… can Infinity exist on its own, other than being a concept, or must it be applied to something to become infinite ? The ideai’m trying to express is that, imo, Infinity doesn’t need to be about everything, everywhere, all the time.

I guess I’m referring to something that is transcendental, akin to the fascinating and unavoidable constant Pi. This guy is just amazing… one end rooted in its finite integer while the other is still for us to reach, on its way to Infinity.

Need to go, will be back.

Regards,

VE

 

[IamWhatIam]

Hello IamWhatIam,

You see, for me, Time could be both infinite, as an absolute, and finite as an elemental parameter that, through mathematical formulation, is fusioned with space in/as Spacetime.

Infinity… can Infinity exist on its own, other than being a concept, or must it be applied to something to become infinite ? The ideai’m trying to express is that, imo, Infinity doesn’t need to be about everything, everywhere, all the time.

I guess I’m referring to something that is transcendental, akin to the fascinating and unavoidable constant Pi. This guy is just amazing… one end rooted in its finite integer while the other is still for us to reach, on its way to Infinity.

Need to go, will be back.

Regards,

VE

Hi VE,
Yes,I see your pount where Time can be used in deriving other fators as in many cases in mathematics and science.I am not really deep into phyics/maths but physics never ceases to amazes me with it's inclination towards practicality and flexibility.

Also, I think time is space between two events, or rather two Experiences. If i have to feel for howlong did I spend(T) in my office(without aid of clocks),I would have to think of gap between the past event and current ex:the time I started off from home towards workplace (T1) and current time (T2)then conclude the time (T) (may be approximate time.) Following the same process,Now, if I have to think of a start point OR 'beinning'of the time, for example It started at 01-JAN-100,000,000 BC then it is still the second experience, and the first Experience being before 01-JAN-100,000,000 BC. This is making the time loop back to infinite. This is what makes me think time is 'Beginningless'

My ideas is that, the infinite is independent of anything for it's existence, for if it depends on any factor,it is incomplete.It is one existence and all inclusive. Its not a gross existence but the finest.INfact so fine that it is beyond sense perception. Like we can hear sounds only in the range of 20 -20k Mhz and not the extremes.Same case with the light. So to know infinite is nothing short of Become infinite..I do not believe in eternal progress, that we are growing on ever and ever in a straight line. It doesn't make much sense to me to believe. There is no motion in a straight line. A straight line infinitely projected becomes a circle. The force sent out will complete the circle and return to its starting place.

So, if at all we are part of the consciousness (which I believe) then we must get back to the source.The same source, which the thiest calls god, the philosopher calls the goal,the scientist calls the universal power and the budhist calls nirvana and the christian calls the eternal kingdom, the hindu calls moksha. The same law which holds good in our worldly life also holds good in our religious life and in the life of the cosmos. It is one, it is universal. It is not that religion is guided by one law and the world by another. The flesh and the devil are but degrees of difference from that source itself.

I would say, to know that infinite is to become one with it. To be more precise, to realize that we are already that infnite.

Thanks for your time.
regards,

/*Inspiration is much higher than Reason but it must not contradict Reason*/

 

[Math Is Hard]

I think you guys are stepping off the precipice of rational thought into the mystical "woo woo" chasm.

..the fascinating and unavoidable constant Pi. This guy is just amazing… one end rooted in its finite integer while the other is still for us to reach, on its way to Infinity.

I suppose you could say that about all irrational numbers. I'm very fond of the square root of two!

So, if at all we are part of the consciousness (which I believe) then we must get back to the source.The same source, which the thiest calls god, the philosopher calls the goal,the scientist calls the universal power and the budhist calls nirvana and the christian calls the eternal kingdom, the hindu calls moksha. The same law which holds good in our worldly life also holds good in our religious life and in the life of the cosmos. It is one, it is universal. It is not that religion is guided by one law and the world by another. The flesh and the devil are but degrees of difference from that source itself.

I would say, to know that infinite is to become one with it. To be more precise, to realize that we are already that infnite.

Become "one with infinity"? Physics Forums is primarily a science and math education/discussion forum. The loosy-goosey spiritual/metaphysical conjecturing won't get much truck here. There are plenty of places to have fun with these ideas on the internet, but this is not one of them.