Is there a centre to the universe

[Ger]

Another approach: the impossibility to find a centre of mass point in (hyper)space. To triangulate such point one needs at least a point at 'the other side' of hyperspace. Getting there by traveling over the surface isn't do-able, as you have no way of knowing where that other side may be. Even if we have contact with other civilisation through a hyperspace communication channel (neutrino's?) beyond our horizon both do not know where we are on the surface. Take at least 6 other communication channels (at least more than the 4 dimension we know of + 1 for the hyperspace + possible 1 communication dimension). Hyperspace we can construct, imagine. But never enter. Communication dimensions we can construct but its medium isn't hyperspace.
Leaves us with one lacking dimension, actually 2 dimensions so a solution would always describe a infinite plane where the centre might be. But your centre is there to pinpoint, infinite number of possibilities.

It's all relativity said the farmer chasing his wife round the table, you think you are chasing me, I think I am chasing you.

 

[phinds]

I'm sorry but I remain unconvinced. Any volume if space will have have a geometric center this is just basic geometry. Even if space itself is expanding rather than just matter/energy that space has a center throughout the expansion. It's just geometry. The only way it wouldn't have a center is if space were infinite or it looped back on itself. I don't think either of these scenarios are supported by evidence but I could be wrong.

The universe doesn't care whether you are convinced or not. You might think about learning some basic topology before making unsupportable statements such as the one in red.

 

[Delong]

The universe doesn't care whether you are convinced or not. You might think about learning some basic topology before making unsupportable statements such as the one in red.

Psh and I thought I would not impolite jerks in science. The statement I made makes total sense unless you can provide a counter example. The burden of proof is on you as far as I see. As long as the universe has some kind of finite shape it has a center, I repeat that is just basic geometry.

 

[WannabeNewton]

Give your mathematically rigorous definition of the center of a 3-manifold and we can move on from there.

 

[phinds]

As long as the universe has some kind of finite shape it has a center, I repeat that is just basic geometry.

And I say, again, you might think about learning some basic topology before making unsupportable statements.

And by the way, I should have added that the universe doesn't care what I think either. I did not mean anything personal by that I was just pointing out that you are expressing an opinion (an incorrect one as it happens) where you think you are stating a fact.

 

[Ger]

"As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality."

And for the tone of the conversation:

"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding."

and for learning something 'new':

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."

All attributed to Einstein. I will not make the effort of stating when, why and the context in which these lines were said.

Any way a centre-point is a singularity in one space, but can be a complete set of new dimensions in another space. Initially Grassmann, ignored by Gauss, made known by Clifford and re-invented by Dirac have developed geometrics which might be useful in understanding what you might call a geometric centre or not. For sure it doesn't look much like ones average centerpoint in a balloon.

 

[WannabeNewton]

I have yet to see any actual mathematics being offered; all I see are vacuous words. A globally isotropic universe cannot, almost by definition, have an absolute center simple as that.

 

[Ger]

Try this: http://staff.science.uva.nl/~leo/clifford/